Chapter 144 Is there a problem with keeping an eye on those people?
"Would it be of any use to go see a doctor now?" Zhu Meng asked. "Wasn't he already taken to the hospital for emergency treatment? The hospital has the best arrangements."
In this kind of sudden event, simply finding a good doctor now won't be of any use.
When Zhu Meng heard Tian Keshu say that Tian Kexian was in trouble, she didn't know what to say. These two sisters really had a lot going on. Zhu Meng also knew that Tian Kexian had previously wanted her daughter to stay with Tian Keshu. Everyone thought Qin Li'an was a sucker and wanted him to pay more money.
"Whether it's useful or not, we still have to go find it," Tian Keshu said anxiously.
"Mom, we should still prepare for both the best and worst," Qin Li'an reminded Tian Keshu.
"The worst-case scenario..." Tian Keshu opened her mouth, "Murder is illegal."
“Find a good lawyer. My aunt was beaten, and she has injuries too. Didn’t you say that yourself?” Qin Li’an said, “My aunt didn’t kill intentionally; she was forced into it. If we find a good lawyer to help my aunt with the case, maybe she can get a shorter sentence.”
While Qin Li'an was in prison, he studied some law, and he still frequently watches legal programs. Qin Li'an tells himself that he can no longer break the law and must be a good citizen.
"Where are my cousins?" Qin Li'an asked. "Were they home at the time?"
Did they go up and stop them?
Qin Li'an felt that this was not something that could be solved simply by finding a doctor; they still needed to analyze other aspects of the situation.
"It would be best to get them to issue a letter of understanding, explaining what they saw at the time," Qin Li'an said. "We also need to keep an eye on the hospital."
However, Tian Kexian's man ultimately could not be saved and died.
After learning of her husband's death, Tian Kexian felt a sense of relief. She wouldn't be beaten anymore. Even if she had to go to jail, no, even if she had to die, she wouldn't care. Tian Kexian had had enough of being beaten; she wouldn't have to anymore.
When the news spread, some sympathized with Tian Kexian, some thought she shouldn't have gone to such lengths, and some felt it wasn't really a case of killing, but rather a series of unfortunate coincidences. Tian Kexian stabbed her husband several times and was sentenced to twelve years in prison for intentional assault before the Lunar New Year. Tian Kexian's children wrote letters of forgiveness, and her husband's relatives, knowing she had been beaten frequently, had no objections.
Because a murder occurred in the rented house, the landlord refused to continue renting it to Tian Kexian's children. Tian Kexian's children also did not intend to continue living there; her son went to live with relatives on her husband's side, and her daughter went to live with Tian Keshu.
Tian Keshu really didn't want to take the child with her, but Tian Kexian was already in jail, and there was no one to look after the child. Tian Keshu's idea was to let her niece stay at her house for a month or two while she went out to find a job, and then she could live outside. If her niece wanted to stay there, she would have to pay for the utilities and food.
Zhu Meng didn't try to drive Tian Keshu's niece away. How could she? Such a big thing had happened in their family; that cousin really had nowhere to go.
"If your aunt had divorced earlier, none of this would have happened." Zhu Meng closed the supermarket door.
It's very late now, and no one is buying anything, so they'll close for now and reopen tomorrow morning.
“Back then, they all wanted my aunt to get a divorce, afraid that she would bring shame to the family,” Qin Li’an said.
"Shameful?" Zhu Meng said, "They've already been beaten, and they still won't get a divorce. If they had divorced earlier, things wouldn't have turned out like this. They didn't consider your aunt at all; they only cared about their own reputation."
So many people are like this; they don't consider their daughter/sister's feelings at all, they just think they can't get a divorce, or they'll be laughed at.
In ancient times, people could still get divorced amicably, so why can't people get divorced in modern times?
"After being beaten for so many years, we fought back, and now we still have to go to jail," Zhu Meng said. "It's not easy."
"..." Qin Li'an didn't know what to say. There were many things going on with the Tian family, and things were probably not going well from top to bottom.
Qin Li'an thought about some things from the past. He hadn't been properly raised by his mother, and as a child, he had thought about bullying his younger cousin, which led to further mistakes. After Qin Li'an was released from prison, he changed his ways because he had learned a lesson in prison. If he hadn't learned that lesson, he would have continued down that dark path.
“Your aunt is the same; she’s always thinking about her brother from her aunt’s family,” Zhu Meng said. “Your aunt and your mother had such a falling out; how could she possibly let her marry into that family? He’s already married and has no other intentions. Your aunt shouldn’t be thinking about those things; she won’t be able to marry into that family.”
Zhu Meng thought about the rumors circulating outside; weren't they all just things Tian Kexian was saying? The two sisters, Tian Kexian and Tian Keshu, were arguing over there, saying whatever came to mind, regardless of whether anyone else was listening.
“They’re married, yet she’s always thinking about other people. If she doesn’t get beaten up, who will?” Zhu Meng said. “Not many men would tolerate that. She’s wrong, but my uncle is wrong too.”
Both of them are at fault. Tian Kexian constantly complains about her husband, saying he's no good and has no money, while her husband is always thinking about his wife and has someone else in his heart. When provoked by others, the man will only beat the woman more severely.
“Your cousin is staying with Mom now, and your cousin is staying with his uncle and aunt,” Zhu Meng said. “It’s okay for boys, they’ll take care of them. Your cousin is going to get married in the future, and this happened, but it’s not a big deal. At least your cousin has a Beijing hukou, so she won’t be unwanted.”
Zhu Meng didn't know what to say about her cousin. Tian Kexian's children really just watched their parents fight without anyone stopping them. Perhaps because they'd always been watching from a distance since they were little, no one had thought to intervene.
This matter even made the newspaper; Song Fenglan saw it while reading it. She also overheard people talking about it while she and Qin Yizhou were out for a walk, and that's how she learned about Tian Kexian's situation.
The Lunar New Year is almost here, but Tian Kexian will have to spend it in prison.
Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou were roasting sweet potatoes in the yard. It was a bit cold, but the fire was quite warm. Qin Zihang wasn't around, and the couple sometimes roasted sweet potatoes in the yard as well.
“We’ll just eat it ourselves, no need to send it to Zihang,” Qin Yizhou said. “His wife is pregnant, so she can’t just eat whatever she wants. He can’t just eat by himself.”
"Then I won't see you off." Song Fenglan nodded. "Has Qin Li'an contacted you about his aunt's matter?"
“No,” Qin Yizhou said. “He doesn’t have the face. My older brother did help out, though, by finding him a great lawyer.”
If it weren't for this lawyer's skill and ability to grasp the key points, Tian Kexian might not have faced a prison sentence, but rather be executed.
“Men are stronger than women.” Song Fenglan thought of a post she had once seen online: “When a man hits a woman, it’s domestic violence. If he kills her, it can be said to be an accident because the man is stronger and couldn’t control himself. But if a woman kills a man, the woman is not as strong as the man. The woman must have planned it. It must have been intentional. It couldn’t have been an accident.”
"You went to court and watched the trial?" Qin Yizhou asked, puzzled.
“I didn’t go,” Song Fenglan said. “It’s a very simple reason.”
Song Fenglan felt a chill run down her spine at the thought. She knew that when women killed men, they received far harsher sentences, while men who killed women received much lighter sentences and were easier to defend themselves against. In her past life, after seeing those posts, Song Fenglan had a thought: Destroy this broken world.
Perhaps because she had seen so many of those posts, Song Fenglan never thought about getting married in her previous life, nor did she ever think about entrusting her fate to a man.
If a woman has enough money and is unmarried, she can live a very comfortable life. But if she gets married, she has to contribute money to the household expenses, and the man likes to say how much he has sacrificed, blah blah blah, because he thinks he has sacrificed the most.
“I heard that Tian Kexian used to be thinking about divorce, but everyone else wouldn’t let them,” Song Fenglan said. “Now that things have come to this point, I wonder what those people who were preventing them from getting a divorce were really thinking.”
A marriage without love, a marriage with domestic violence, where people are forced to stay together, is bound to end in trouble sooner or later. Yes, some couples stay together under duress and no one dies, but the other person continues to be beaten. Those who aren't beaten don't think anything of it, even believing that couples who fight in bed make up quickly.
"I don't know," Qin Yizhou said.
“A while ago, one of my second brother’s factory employees fell for the cafeteria worker and wanted to divorce his wife. His wife even came to the factory to make a scene. Others tried to persuade him to return to his family, but he refused and insisted on getting a divorce,” Song Fenglan said. “The cafeteria worker was more than ten years older than him, but he still wanted to be with her.”
"And now?" Qin Yizhou asked.
“They’ve been fired,” Song Fenglan said. “Both of them have been fired. Their actions have damaged the factory’s image and affected the work of other employees.”
Song Fenglan truly couldn't understand why that man would fall for the vegetable-serving aunt who was more than ten years older than him. She'd heard that his first wife was quite nice, much prettier, and had even given birth to a child. The man insisted on a divorce, and no amount of persuasion from others could change his mind.
“They’re divorced now, and those two are together,” Song Fenglan said. “This world is too big; anything can happen.”
"You know quite a lot." Qin Yizhou took out the roasted sweet potato, broke it open, and handed half to Song Fenglan.
"Work is too tiring, but I still need to listen to this gossip," Song Fenglan said. "It's almost Chinese New Year, and Zihang and the others should be coming over for New Year's Eve dinner, so we need to prepare more dishes."
"I told them." Qin Yizhou had told the servants at home well in advance, and the servants naturally prepared extra things.
Xu Yan and her husband bought many New Year's gifts for their elders. They delivered the gifts together to the elders of the Song family and also to Professor Su and his wife. As for the Qin family, Xu Yan didn't go; Qin Zihang delivered the gifts instead. With Qin Zihang going to the Qin family, Qin...
Not a single boat made it across.
Qin's father did not blame Qin Yizhou and the others. He had long known that everyone's feelings were no longer what they used to be, and there was really no need for Qin Yizhou and the others to come over.
"How is your granddaughter-in-law?" Qin's father asked, seeing Qin Zihang bringing over some things.
"It's alright," Qin Zihang said.
"How many more months until delivery?" Qin's father asked.
"There are still five or six months to go, it's still early," Qin Zihang said. "The doctor said twins are more likely to be born prematurely, so we need to go to the hospital early to prepare for delivery."
"Have you chosen a hospital yet?" Qin's father asked.
"I've made my choice," Qin Zihang said. "Grandpa, I have to go back now."
"Go back, go back." Qin's father did not keep Qin Zihang, nor did he invite Qin Zihang and his group to come over for the New Year's Eve dinner.
At least Qin Zihang is still willing to send New Year's gifts, which is already quite good.
Xu Yan knew that Song Fenglan and the Qin family didn't get along, and she also knew that Qin Zihang had been treated unfairly by the Qin family in the past, so naturally she couldn't keep going to the Qin family. Xu Yan didn't need to go to the Qin family to be filial to Qin's father, and she wasn't afraid of what others would say about her.
Song Fenglan didn't stop Xu Yan from going; it was Xu Yan's own unwillingness. Xu Yan believed that her mother-in-law was such a smart person, and she should just follow her mother-in-law's lead. Although Song Fenglan wouldn't say anything to Xu Yan if she went to the Qin family, Xu Yan still chose not to go.
When Qin Zihang returned, Xu Yan asked, "Did you send the things over?"
"I sent it over," Qin Zihang said. "Grandpa happened to be home. He asked me a few questions about you. I answered them briefly and then came back."
Qin Zihang didn't have a deep relationship with his father and his associates, but he always remembered how badly they treated his mother. He also always remembered his mother's last words: how could those people speak ill of his own mother when she was so good?
"Did you run into anyone else?" Xu Yan asked.
"No," Qin Zihang said. "Qin Li'an is still running the supermarket. I was sitting in the car and saw him moving things. Business must have been pretty good these past few days, with so much stuff on the shelves."
"That's good," Xu Yan said.
On New Year's Eve, Xu Yan and her husband went to Song Fenglan's house. The two arrived early, and Xu Yan was still busy taking care of things. Song Fenglan told Xu Yan to rest, but Xu Yan said it was just a small matter and wouldn't bother her.
Aunt Song didn't come to Song Fenglan's house for New Year's Eve dinner this year. Instead, she ordered food from a hotel and had it delivered to the elderly people with mobility issues. She also invited some elderly people who were able to come to her house for New Year's Eve dinner, and some people gathered together. Aunt Song was doing a good deed, and she even prepared red envelopes for the elderly people.
Not all elderly people can go; Aunt Song has her own ideas.
When the Tang family learned of Aunt Song's actions, they were furious but helpless. They were even more enraged when they discovered that Aunt Song had prepared red envelopes for them.
After Song Fenglan and the others finished their New Year's Eve dinner, Xu Yan and her husband returned home quite early. Xu Yan, being pregnant, needed to be extra careful and didn't stay long.
With my son and daughter-in-law gone, the house became much quieter.
“They’re not here, let’s go have a barbecue,” Qin Yizhou said. “It was prepared a long time ago.”
“Okay.” Song Fenglan chuckled.
Qin Li'an and his wife did not invite Tian Keshu to their home for New Year's Eve dinner; Tian Keshu ate with her niece instead. When Qin Li'an and his wife were preparing New Year's goods, they also prepared some for Tian Keshu, including chicken, duck, fish, and meat, which Tian Keshu already had.
Tian Keshu naturally didn't bother Qin Li'an, especially after what happened to her sister's family. She felt that she was living a good life now and decided not to cause trouble.
In the south of the city, Fang Erniu went home for the Chinese New Year, but she had another falling out with Gao Xiuxiu before the New Year's Eve dinner. So Fang Erniu went back to her rented room and didn't eat the New Year's Eve dinner at home.
Fang Xudong was truly helpless; his wife insisted on talking to Erniu.
"What do you think Erniu is doing?" Fang Xudong asked.
"I just can't stand how flashy she is," Gao Xiuxiu said. "How old is she? Why is she dressed like that? Does she want a man?"
Fang Xudong really wanted to say, who exactly is the one who wants a man? Erniu has always worked hard and hasn't done anything wrong. On the contrary, it's Daniu. Daniu was studying at school before, that's true, but Daniu got together with a man and is now heavily pregnant.
The man clearly told Da Niu to abort the baby, but Da Niu still refused and insisted on giving birth to the child.
That's true. Da Niu's health isn't good. If she doesn't have this child, she might not be able to conceive later.
Fang Xudong could only let his wife and eldest daughter do as they pleased. He finally managed to coax his second daughter back for the New Year, but his wife started nagging her again.
"Can you say less? Erniu hasn't gone looking for men; she knows she's still young," Fang Xudong said. "How can Erniu be happy when you just blurt out things she hasn't done?"
“I was doing it for her own good. If she dresses like that, won’t those men look at her more? Won’t they think about deceiving her?” Gao Xiuxiu said. “She doesn’t earn much money, and she spends it recklessly. And you, you’re even subsidizing her.”
“We just paid some rent, and you have to make a fuss about it,” Fang Xudong said. “Erniu is our biological daughter; she wasn’t picked up from the roadside by you.”
“If I had picked her up from the roadside, I would have kicked her out immediately and she would never be my daughter again,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “It’s because she is my biological daughter that I have to worry about so many things. When she came to our house, she didn’t call us Mom, Grandma, or Sister, acting like we owed her millions.”
Gao Xiuxiu got angry just thinking about Fang Erniu's expression; she believed Fang Erniu was doing it on purpose. Fang Erniu was deliberately trying to provoke them, and coupled with Fang Daniu's comment that Fang Erniu's attitude was bad, Gao Xiuxiu became even angrier.
Even now, Gao Xiuxiu still values the importance of women.
Both the eldest daughter and the son said the child could take the Fang surname. Gao Xiuxiu believed that even if the man didn't marry Da Niu in the end, they could still raise Da Niu's child.
"Her sister is pregnant, and she doesn't even know how to be considerate of her. She has such a cold face, is she trying to scare her sister to death?" Gao Xiuxiu said. "She doesn't know how to care for her sister at all. How can we expect someone like her to be good to us? No, she's a beast!"
"Alright," Fang Xudong said, "Let's go eat."
After finishing their New Year's Eve dinner, Fang Xudong went out to find Fang Erniu. He brought some dumplings and chicken soup with him. When Fang Xudong arrived at Fang Erniu's place, she was cooking noodles.
"Dad." Fang Erniu didn't expect her father to come over.
"It's still warm, eat it quickly," Fang Xudong said.
"Did you bring this from home?" Fang Erniu asked.
"Mm." Fang Xudong nodded.
"..." Fang Erniu was silent for a while, "Didn't Mom stop you?"
"Don't worry about her." Fang Xudong didn't want to talk about Gao Xiuxiu anymore. Since Gao Xiuxiu didn't care about Erniu, Fang Xudong could only pamper his second daughter himself. "For the time being, don't go back home. Your eldest sister stays at home. She's pregnant, and she's just like your mother. Don't let her make things difficult for you."
Fang Xudong knew that his wife and eldest daughter didn't get along, but what could he do? He was caught in the middle. He had said a few things, but Gao Xiuxiu and his eldest daughter just wouldn't listen.
Fang Erniu knew her father didn't have a high status in the family. He always felt he was the one who caused her mother's condition, and he was always more submissive in front of her mother. Fang Erniu also knew she wasn't welcome in that family; going back would only mean enduring mistreatment, so she preferred not to go.
"Is Big Sister really going to have that child?" Fang Erniu asked.
"The doctor said that if she doesn't give birth to this child, she may not be able to have children in the future," Fang Xudong said.
"Then let her give birth," Fang Erniu said. "With you and Mom helping to take care of the child, there won't be any problem."
Fang Erniu realized this after a little thought: even if her eldest sister didn't successfully marry that man, her mother would still raise the child. Her eldest sister wouldn't have to bring the child with her when she remarried.
"Eat quickly, eat it while it's hot," Fang Xudong said. "I have no way to help your sister in this state."
Fang Xudong regretted that he should have kept a closer eye on Da Niu; perhaps she wouldn't have gotten together with another man so quickly, and wouldn't have gotten pregnant so soon.
“Dad, it’s not entirely your fault,” Fang Erniu said while eating dumplings.
Fang Erniu did not resent her father; if it weren't for him, her life would have been even more miserable.
About two months after the Lunar New Year, Fatty was packing her things to go to the capital. Tan Wu was about to give birth, and someone needed to go and take care of her during her postpartum period. Fatty thought she should go and help out. She had been hesitating before the Lunar New Year and hesitated for a long time afterward. She was worried that going would cause a conflict with Tan Wu, but it wouldn't be good if she didn't go.
It was a rather cold time of year, so the herbal jelly business wasn't doing too well. Fatty Sister thought she still had to make a trip to the capital.
"I'll come back after Tan Wu finishes her postpartum confinement," said the plump woman. "I've already told Xiao Hu and the others."
“Then go ahead,” Zhang Chenghai said. “I didn’t say you couldn’t go.”
"I'll be right back," said the plump woman. "It's still quite cold over there, so you'll need to bring some warm clothes."
"Do you need to bring anything else?" Zhang Chenghai asked, looking at the things the fat woman was packing.
"That's about it," said the plump woman. "It's not easy to carry so much stuff. Luckily, we bought a house for Xiaohu back then. Housing prices in the capital are skyrocketing these days, so buying a house early saved us a lot of money."
“Of course, buying early means you’ve made a profit,” Zhang Chenghai said. “Others have bought more houses, but our family bought fewer.”
"Do you have money? If you don't, why are you thinking so much?" the fat woman said. "When I go to the capital, you can cook for yourself at home or eat in the canteen. Don't bother Xiaowen and the others too much."
"I know, you don't need to tell me." Zhang Chenghai certainly knew not to bother his eldest son and daughter-in-law.
My eldest daughter-in-law just found out she's pregnant, but she won't be giving birth anytime soon.
The plump woman went to her younger daughter-in-law's place first, and would take care of her older daughter-in-law later. Her older daughter-in-law had her biological parents with her, which would be much more convenient. The younger daughter-in-law's biological parents weren't around, and the plump woman was worried about them, so after much thought, she decided she had to go over there.
I'll take care of her with my younger daughter-in-law for now. When I have more time, around the time I'm about to return to Nancheng, I can go see Song Fenglan. If Song Fenglan is still busy and not home, then there's nothing I can do.
Sister-in-law Pang had already planned her itinerary. She didn't call Song Fenglan in advance to tell her that she was going to take care of her younger daughter-in-law, not specifically to see Song Fenglan.
When Fatty Sister went to the capital, Zhang Xiaohu picked her up. The apartment had two bedrooms and a living room, and there happened to be one room for her.
Tan Wu gave birth within a week of Pang Sao's arrival. It was a natural birth, and she was discharged from the hospital quickly. Pang Sao was very busy, preparing the postpartum meals according to her experience. Tan Wu was quite dissatisfied with Pang Sao, feeling that she was interfering too much.
Fatty Sister-in-law let Zhang Xiaohu sleep on the sofa in the living room, instead of letting him sleep with Tan Wu.
When Tan Wu was talking to Zhang Xiaohu about Fatty Sister-in-law, she even asked Zhang Xiaohu to close the door.
“We agreed to hire someone,” Tan Wu said. “Your mother insisted on coming, and now that she’s here, so many problems have arisen. One minute she’s complaining that the kitchen is dirty, the next she’s complaining that the bathroom is dirty. There’s no clean place here.”
"Mom will clean, you don't need to," Zhang Xiaohu said.
“If your mom hadn’t been cleaning, I would have said even more,” Tan Wu said. “Your mom talks too much; just listening to her say those things gives me a headache.”
"Bear with it, Mom is doing this so she can take better care of you," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Mom will only stay for about a month. After you finish your postpartum confinement, she will go back. After that, we don't know when she will come again. It may be a long time before she comes."
“We only have two rooms in our house, and with your mother here, it’s really difficult to hire someone,” Tan Wu said.
The child always woke up in the middle of the night, and with Fatty Sister-in-law taking care of the child, Tan Wu could indeed get a good rest. But Tan Wu still didn't like Fatty Sister-in-law; she always remembered Fatty Sister-in-law's disdain for her.
A few days later, Qin Zihang learned that Tan Wu had given birth, and then he brought some tonics to come over. Xu Yan's belly was too big, so she didn't come.
"Auntie." Qin Zihang didn't expect to see his chubby sister-in-law; he didn't even know she was there.
"You brought so much stuff?" The plump woman looked at the things on the table. "Sit down, I'll go boil you two eggs."
"No need, I have to go back in a bit," Qin Zihang said. "I only came because I heard that Xiaohu's child was born."
"Why don't you sit down and play a little longer?" the plump woman asked.
"No, no," Qin Zihang said. "Let's get together another day when we have time."
"Okay, this house is a mess," said the plump woman.
Just as Qin Zihang was about to leave, Zhang Xiaohu came out of the kitchen and bathroom. Qin Zihang had initially thought that Zhang Xiaohu wasn't home; he had just stopped by to deliver something and was about to leave again.
"Zihang." Zhang Xiaohu didn't expect Qin Zihang to come. He hadn't told Qin Zihang about Tan Wusheng's birth; someone else must have told Qin Zihang.
"I bought some fish maw, saying it's very good for postpartum women," Qin Zihang said. "You guys prepare it for your sister-in-law, I'll head back first."
Zhang Xiaohu didn't try to stop Qin Zihang; if someone was busy, then they had to be busy. After starting work, Zhang Xiaohu realized that work truly meant being unable to control one's own destiny; sometimes you had to be busy for a long time without any way to manage it.
"Did you tell Zihang?" Fatty asked Zhang Xiaohu after Qin Zihang left.
"We haven't said anything yet. We were thinking of waiting until the baby is a month old to discuss it," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Actually, we weren't planning on having a full-month celebration for the baby. We don't have any relatives, friends, or colleagues here, so it wouldn't be appropriate to accept too many red envelopes from them."
Zhang Xiaohu thought that if they were to have a full moon celebration, a meal with a few close friends would be fine; neither he nor his wife planned to hold a big one.
"Fish maw is indeed a good thing." The plump woman had heard about it and thought the fish maw Qin Zihang had prepared must be excellent. Qin Zihang's wife was also about to give birth, so they couldn't easily send back what Qin Zihang had sent. Their own gifts might be a little cheaper, but there was nothing they could do; they could only do what they could afford. "Zihang is really good to you."
"Mm." Zhang Xiaohu nodded.
That evening, Qin Zihang and his wife had dinner at Song Fenglan's house. After dinner, while resting, Qin Zihang told Song Fenglan that Sister-in-law Pang had arrived.
"She must be helping her sister-in-law during her postpartum period," Qin Zihang said.
“Probably.” Song Fenglan didn’t think there was anything wrong with her sister-in-law not coming to see her. Everyone had their own things to do and no one was thinking of causing trouble for anyone else. “Your wife is about to give birth. Don’t stay in the lab all day. You should take better care of your wife.”
“My mom has been coming over a lot lately, and there are other people at home too,” Xu Yan said. “It’s okay, Mom.”
Xu Yan didn't blame Qin Zihang, and it wasn't that Qin Zihang hadn't kept her company. "He's been coming home earlier lately."
“That’s what he should do,” Song Fenglan said. “If you have something to say, just say it. He’ll know if you tell him. If you don’t, he might not know what you’re thinking.”
“Of course.” Xu Yan chuckled. “I’ll just tell you my requests.”
Xu Yan and her husband sat for a while before leaving, and Song Fenglan and her husband saw them to the door.
Previously, Qin Yizhou hadn't spent much time with Song Fenglan, but Song Fenglan didn't think much of it. Song Fenglan wasn't a particularly sentimental person, but she knew that many women still longed for their husbands' company rather than being alone.
Song Fenglan said those things in front of Qin Zihang because she hoped that Qin Zihang would understand.
"You've worked hard," Qin Yizhou said.
"Hmm?" Song Fenglan tilted her head, wondering why Qin Yizhou was saying that.
"I didn't spend much time with you before," Qin Yizhou said, "especially when you were pregnant and giving birth."
After Song Fenglan joined the army, Qin Yizhou had more time to spend with her. That was because Song Fenglan had become successful, and the military leaders asked Qin Yizhou to go back and protect her as soon as possible.
"So many years have passed," Song Fenglan said. "Now you're just spending more time at home and with me, aren't you?"
"Now is now, and the past is the past," Qin Yizhou said.
“Zihang spends more time at the research institute and comes back even later than me,” Song Fenglan said. “His wife is pregnant, so he has to take better care of the child.”
Fortunately, Xu Yan didn't hold those things against her, and Song Fenglan realized she had no way to take care of Xu Yan anyway.
Xu Yan is very satisfied with her current life. Her mother-in-law doesn't cause her any trouble and is very caring. There are servants to do things at home, Xu Yan doesn't lack money, and her mother can come over to help out from time to time. Isn't that great?
The plump woman stewed some of the fish maw that Qin Zihang had brought for Tan Wu to eat. Tan Wu knew how expensive that fish maw was. Tan Wu also looked at the box; this brand of fish maw was even more expensive.
Qin Zihang was really generous to his family; the things he gave away weren't cheap at all. Qin Zihang had never considered asking Zhang Xiaohu for something of equal value in return, and Tan Wu thought that her family had really gotten a good deal.
The fish maw stewed by Aunt Pang didn't taste very good, but Tan Wu still ate it all. Qin Zihang brought quite a lot of fish maw, enough for Tan Wu to eat for a while.
“Your friend is really something,” Tan Wu said to Zhang Xiaohu privately. “We’ve caused so much trouble, and he still values you so much, even sending you so many things.”
The more Tan Wu thought about it, the more she felt that they had been petty back then, and that they really shouldn't have thought so much.
“I’ve changed it now,” Zhang Xiaohu said.
Tan Wu had told Zhang Xiaohu several times not to speak carelessly, especially since things weren't even settled yet. She said Zhang Xiaohu's tendency to speak recklessly would make him vulnerable in the workplace, and that was entirely his own fault.
If you don't change course, it's your own fault, and you can't blame others.
When Fatty Sister-in-law wanted to see Song Fenglan, Song Fenglan was not at home; she had gone on a business trip.
"A business trip?" the fat woman asked in surprise. It was Qin Yizhou who was at home.
"Yes, she's away on a business trip." Qin Yizhou took out some things that Song Fenglan had prepared and put them in the living room. "Fenglan said you would most likely come over, and these things were prepared for you by her. She had to go on a business trip due to some urgent matters and probably won't be back for ten days to half a month."
It wasn't that Song Fenglan was deliberately avoiding Fatty Sister-in-law; something came up unexpectedly, and Song Fenglan couldn't very well say that her friend had come and she needed to see her friend first.
Previously, when Aunt Pang was helping Tan Wu during her postpartum period, Song Fenglan didn't go to disturb them. Song Fenglan hadn't expected something to happen unexpectedly, but fortunately, she had prepared some things in advance.
"Fenglan has really had a tough time," the plump woman remarked.
"She's always busy, like a spinning top. When she finally gets home, she often reads books," Qin Yizhou said.
"Since she's not home, I'll go back first," said the plump woman.
"Take your things with you," Qin Yizhou said.
Qin Yizhou didn't invite Fatty Sister-in-law to stay for dinner; it was a bit awkward for the two of them to eat alone. He figured it was better for her to go home, and Fatty Sister-in-law herself felt awkward, which is why she didn't stay any longer.
When the plump woman returned home with the things, Tan Wu saw them and asked in surprise, "Mom, did you buy these?"
“I didn’t buy it, Fenglan prepared it,” said the plump woman. “She had to go on a business trip unexpectedly, so she prepared the things in advance. When I arrived, her husband asked me to bring them over.”
"She's really good to you," Tan Wu remarked.
"She's got a big heart," said the plump woman. "She's magnanimous and doesn't hold grudges against me. I owe her a debt I can't repay in this life; I'll have to wait for the next."
“We do owe a lot,” Tan Wu said.
"I'll be going back in a couple of days," said the plump woman. "Remember to wash the child's clothes separately, not with the adults' clothes. Such a young child shouldn't drink honey or eat jelly; they're too small and can easily choke. Years ago, our neighbor's child ate honey and ended up in the hospital. A very young child's digestive system isn't fully developed, so they shouldn't eat things like that. Even if the food is good, wait until the child is a little older."
Fatty's wife was quite talkative. When she was taking care of Tan Wu during her postpartum period, the two had disagreements, but Fatty's wife was more tolerant. Fatty's wife knew it wasn't appropriate to argue with her daughter-in-law during her postpartum period, as it could easily harm her health. Anyway, she was only staying there for a little over a month, not a particularly long time.
"The child is still young. When covering the child with a blanket, don't cover their head, or they might not be able to breathe," said the plump woman. "You've never taken care of a child before, so you don't know these things. If you're unsure about anything, you can call me or go to the hospital to ask a doctor. There's always a way to solve the problem."
"Okay." Tan Wu nodded.
"Here's six hundred yuan." The plump woman took out another six hundred yuan and handed it to Tan Wu, "Buy yourself something to eat."
Two days later, Fatty Sister went back home; she didn't stay in the capital for long. During this time, Fatty Sister didn't constantly complain about Tan Wu in front of Zhang Xiaohu. Tan Wu already had a child, and she was going to live with Zhang Xiaohu for the rest of her life. Fatty Sister knew that complaining about those things was useless.
Fatty Sister-in-law can't stay in the capital forever. If she keeps saying those unpleasant things, it will only cause her son and daughter-in-law to quarrel.
During her menopause, Fatty's temper was bad, but she later came to terms with it. Fan Yani talked to Fatty a lot, and Fatty realized that Song Fenglan wasn't uncaring; she was simply busy. Sometimes, the relationship between two people isn't entirely equal. Fatty was more proactive in seeking out Song Fenglan, but Song Fenglan also helped Fatty a lot.
Once people have a positive outlook, they realize that the world is still a wonderful place and that all the people there are are very kind.
The sandstorms in the Northwest were still quite strong, but much better than when Song Fenglan came many years ago. After arriving, Song Fenglan stayed at a hotel next to the research institute; she was also waiting for two students to come with her.
When Song Fenglan was away on a business trip, Qin Zihang considered coming over. However, Xu Yan was about to give birth, so it wasn't appropriate for Qin Zihang to come.
Shi Guilan's family still lives in the Northwest. Her two stepdaughters have long since married, and her son has also started his own family. Old Mrs. Cao passed away many years ago. Now, Shi Guilan and her husband live with their son and daughter-in-law, as well as Shi Guilan's granddaughter.
The two stepdaughters would buy food for Staff Officer Xu secretly, so he would only bring a small amount home. The things they brought were also small in quantity; they might look like a lot, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that the actual amount was much less than what appeared to be outside.
Both stepdaughters remembered how badly Shi Guilan had treated them, so they were relatively kinder to Shi Guilan's son. If it weren't for Old Lady Cao taking care of them back then and giving Shi Guilan's son some guidance, their relationship would probably be much worse now.
During a break, Song Fenglan went for a walk with her students, and Shi Guilan spotted her in the distance. Shi Guilan recognized her immediately; Song Fenglan's face hadn't changed much, she still looked very young, charming, and had a particularly good temperament.
Shi Guilan looked at herself, then at Song Fenglan, and realized the difference was truly significant.
Song Fenglan didn't pay attention to Shi Guilan. Shi Guilan's head was still wrapped in a scarf. She didn't like the sand. It was much drier here than in the capital.
"What are you looking at?" The person next to Shi Guilan nudged her. "You're staring at those people. Is there something wrong with them?"
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