Chapter 16 Ugly People Are Always Mischievous: He Picked Up His Son and Ran Away (Third Update)...
"This is going to kill me! Damn it, you deserve to be torn to pieces!"
“You all want me to do this and that, where am I supposed to find so much free time to look after the children?”
“You don’t take care of your own children, so I’m helping you take care of them, and you still complain about me.”
"I've already apologized to you, and you're still not satisfied. You just don't like me as your mother-in-law, and you despise me as your mother-in-law!"
...
Grandma Fang dares to sit there and make a scene as long as her granddaughter is alright, but if her granddaughter were dead, Grandma Fang would definitely restrain herself a bit.
Grandma Fang just felt that her granddaughter was fine, and her son and daughter-in-law shouldn't be so fussy with her. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and besides, she had so many things to do; how could she possibly take care of everything by herself? If her daughter-in-law had stayed home to take care of the child, none of this would have happened.
Zhang Xiaohu dashed over immediately. Once he arrived at the Fang family's house, he was like an eel, quickly disappearing to the very front, and even Fatty Sister couldn't stop him. Fatty Sister could only follow, thinking that Zhang Xiaohu must be itching for a fight.
Qin Zihang, on the other hand, knew that staying close to his mother was fine, but he couldn't get too close.
Song Fenglan knew that children have a great deal of curiosity, and it wasn't realistic to stop the child from seeing it. If they didn't see it this time, they would go downstairs again, and one day the child would sneak out. It was better to let the child see it; after seeing it, the child would be more likely to give up.
"Get up, get up now." Gao Xiuxiu was disgusted by her mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law was a typical country shrew who loved to throw tantrums and didn't care about the family's reputation at all.
Her mother-in-law just sat on the ground, not caring at all that the ground was dirty, nor worried about wearing out her clothes.
Gao Xiuxiu thought so too. If something broke, her mother-in-law would just ask the couple for money to buy a replacement. Her mother-in-law wouldn't care whether they were in financial difficulty or not.
"I'm not getting up," Grandma Fang said stubbornly. "If I get up, it means I'm in the wrong. I'm not getting up. I've done so much for you, and you don't say a single good word about me, don't say thank you, and you treat me like this. Are we family, and I'm just supposed to be bullied by you?"
Grandma Fang continued to shout as she spoke.
"What kind of lousy daughter-in-law is this? I shouldn't have come."
“My granddaughter is all grown up, and they want me to get lost. They don’t need me anymore.”
"Oh dear, I'm a widow, and I raised them with so much hardship. Do you think it was easy for me?"
...
Gao Xiuxiu's face was very pale, her expression gloomy. Gao Xiuxiu stepped forward to help her mother-in-law up, but her mother-in-law refused to get up.
"Why don't you get up?" The plump woman leaned closer. "Whatever it is, you two can talk it over inside."
Fat Sister looked at Gao Xiuxiu. She knew how upset Gao Xiuxiu was. These kinds of things should be discussed in private, not made public.
Many people were watching, but few went up to persuade them.
The plump woman would also step forward and try to persuade her, saying, "Auntie, please get up, the ground is dirty."
“If it gets dirty, I’ll be the one washing the clothes, not you or my daughter-in-law,” Grandma Fang said. “I’ve done so much for them like a slave, and they’re so accommodating, expecting everything to be done for them, and they even complain about me.”
Grandma Fang didn't give Fatty Sister any face; she came...
Having been here for quite some time, Grandma Fang already knew the identities and status of these people. Fatty's husband wasn't a particularly powerful man, so Grandma Fang wasn't afraid of Fatty at all.
Seeing this, the plump woman, being strong, pulled Grandma Fang up a little, but Grandma Fang sat down again. The plump woman thought about it and decided to let go. It was better not to pull her anymore; Grandma Fang was so old, and if something happened, she might be blamed.
Gao Xiuxiu wished she could just tell her mother-in-law to pack her things and go back to the countryside. But given the current situation, she suspected her mother-in-law didn't want to go back at all, and getting her to go back would be too difficult. In the first place, she shouldn't have thought her mother-in-law could help her take care of the child, shouldn't have listened to her husband, and shouldn't have let her mother-in-law come. If her mother-in-law hadn't come, perhaps none of this would have happened.
Song Fenglan remained silent. She didn't know the situation and couldn't possibly offer advice. Even if Song Fenglan knew a little about the situation, she wouldn't say anything; even an upright official can't settle family disputes, and no one can say for sure.
It was the first time Qin Zihang had seen someone sitting on the ground shouting. He was curious and looked at them several times.
"Mom, is she a little child?" Qin Zihang muttered softly, tugging at his mother's clothes.
"Did you see that?" Song Fenglan didn't dare to speak loudly, as she didn't want everyone to look over. Fortunately, Grandma Fang was shouting loudly over there, so no one paid attention to Song Fenglan and her son. "We saw it, so we're going back."
Song Fenglan suddenly remembered what her older sister-in-law had said earlier—that someone claimed she was bringing bad luck to Gao Xiuxiu's family. Song Fenglan didn't take the children into the Fang family's courtyard; they'd just look around from the gate. Why bother with other people's family matters? Who knows, they might reconcile later and then everyone would be criticizing them.
"Mom, aren't we going to watch anymore?" Qin Zihang asked. He glanced at it again, thinking that adults can be just like children. "Aren't adults afraid of losing face?"
Perhaps Qin Zihang's voice was a little too loud, because someone nearby was looking at him.
Song Fenglan was a little embarrassed, and then said, "You should go back and take a nap. Look at you, you're sleepy and talking nonsense in your sleep."
Song Fenglan picked up her son and prepared to go back. She wasn't fleeing in panic, but rather afraid that her son would say something shocking again; it was better to avoid such embarrassing incidents. As Song Fenglan carried her child outside, she took a few steps and ran into Shi Guilan.
As soon as Shi Guilan saw Song Fenglan, she raised her voice, "Qin Tuan's wife, why did you leave so quickly?"
Song Fenglan felt that Shi Guilan was crazy, leaving whenever she wanted.
"Is this road yours?" Song Fenglan asked.
“Of course not,” Shi Guilan said. “This belongs to the public.”
"Since it's not your family, why are you meddling so much?" Song Fenglan didn't give Shi Guilan any face at all. No matter whether Shi Guilan was the wife of a staff officer or a political commissar, her status or position didn't matter.
Song Fenglan brought her child to join the army, not to suffer hardship or be unjustly punished. Since Song Fenglan herself hadn't done anything wrong, she could naturally refute Shi Guilan in this way.
"The Fang family is in trouble, aren't you going to help them out?" Shi Guilan said. "We're all neighbors, aren't you being too heartless?"
“Then go and help! You’re so kind!” Song Fenglan said, “But don’t end up causing trouble instead of managing things properly.”
“You…” Shi Guilan stared fiercely at Song Fenglan.
"Mom, she's being mean to you." Qin Zihang, a little boy, noticed Shi Guilan's hostility towards Song Fenglan, and naturally sided with his mother. "Is she just being difficult because she's ugly?"
"Qin Tuan's family, how exactly have you raised your child?" Shi Guilan asked angrily, pointing her finger at Qin Zihang, her finger trembling slightly.
“He’s being filial; he knows his mother is being bullied and he knows how to protect her,” Song Fenglan said deliberately. “Really? Really? You haven’t had your child stand up for you before, have you?”
“You…” Shi Guilan was basically never protected by her son. Her son was the apple of her and her husband’s eye, and he often complained about this and that. Shi Guilan couldn’t say anything bad about her son.
"Weren't you going to show off your kind heart and be a helpful neighbor? Why are you still standing here, blocking us from going back? Are you planning to target our family?" Song Fenglan said. "Are you still thinking of making my husband divorce me?"
When Political Commissar Zhao's wife, Madam Zhao, arrived, she witnessed this scene. Madam Zhao knew perfectly well that Shi Guilan had gone to make things difficult for Song Fenglan; that was just Shi Guilan's nature—always putting on airs. Even though the situation had changed, and the Revolutionary Committee's status wasn't what it used to be, Shi Guilan still dared to cause such a ruckus.
"Is the child sleepy?" Mrs. Zhao stepped forward. "Take the child back to rest quickly."
"She's blocking the road and won't let us go back," Qin Zihang said, fiddling with his fingers in a wronged tone. "Baby's so tired."
"How can you teach your child like this?" Shi Guilan's face was pale and she looked several shades lighter. Zhao Political Commissar's wife was still standing next to her.
"Alright, let them go back and rest." Madam Zhao frowned as she looked at Shi Guilan. She knew that Shi Guilan held a grudge against Qin Tuan's wife because Shi Guilan's attempt to marry her cousin to Qin Tuan had failed.
It's not that there aren't people here who get divorced and remarry, but some people have perfectly good families, and those who insist on forcing them to divorce and trying to destroy their families have a problem.
“They…” Shi Guilan turned to look at Madam Zhao. She wanted to say something else, but she saw that Madam Zhao’s eyes were not very good, so she could only move aside to let Song Fenglan leave.
Qin Zihang was clinging to Song Fenglan's back. When he saw Shi Guilan looking over, he deliberately made a face at her. When Madam Zhao turned around, Qin Zihang looked pitiful.
Shi Guilan was furious and about to explode when Madam Zhao gently patted her arm.
"Let's go," said Madam Zhao. She felt that Shi Guilan was too petty. Commander Qin's wife had not offended Shi Guilan. On the contrary, Shi Guilan had a problem with Song Fenglan even before meeting her.
Song Fenglan's arrival to join the army at this time was probably due to a change in policy.
As someone of Madam Zhao's status, she could sense many changes, and her husband had mentioned them a few times at home. Madam Zhao didn't want Shi Guilan to cause trouble, so she preferred to keep things quiet if possible.
"..." Shi Guilan was unwilling, but there was absolutely nothing she could do.
Grandma Fang had been making a scene in the yard for a long time. When Madam Zhao went over, Grandma Fang was still sitting on the ground. No matter how much the fat woman tried to pull her up, Grandma Fang wouldn't get up. The fat woman would pull Grandma Fang up a little, but Grandma Fang would quickly sit down again. The fat woman was exhausted from pulling her up.
After much persuasion from Madam Zhao, Grandma Fang finally got up. Madam Zhao, being the wife of the political commissar and working in the Women's Federation, held considerable prestige in the area, and many people respected her.
Grandma Fang was also a little afraid of Madam Zhao, fearing that she might offend Madam Zhao by being too disrespectful.
When Fatty Sister saw that Grandma Fang was helped back to her room by Madam Zhao, she wanted to watch more, but Shi Guilan was chasing her away.
"Let's go, let's all go back," Shi Guilan said. "What's there to see? This is someone else's family matter."
Once everyone else left, it wouldn't be appropriate for them to stay and watch the spectacle. It wasn't that they didn't want to continue watching, but they were being driven away and had no choice but to leave.
Unable to continue watching the commotion, Zhang Xiaohu ran home, not to Song Fenglan's house. He didn't think about getting his notebook and pencil back; he only knew he didn't want to write anymore, even though Qin Zihang was writing too.
Qin Yizhou was a man of his word, and he actually went to see Staff Officer Xu. Qin Yizhou got straight to the point. Logically, he shouldn't have said these things during working hours, but after work, Staff Officer Xu was nowhere to be found, and who knew if he had gone back and listened to Shi Guilan's nonsense.
Previously, Qin Yizhou hadn't spoken much about Staff Officer Xu's wife or Shi Guilan's cousin. But now, Qin Yizhou had to say it; his wife and son had come over, and if he didn't handle these matters well, his wife and son would suffer.
“Earlier, when your wife wanted to introduce me to someone, I already told her that I was already married,” Qin Yizhou said. “No matter what my wife’s social class is, she is still my wife. Your wife shouldn’t speak ill of my wife outside, nor should she think about me divorcing her husband to marry her cousin. Just because she can marry you doesn’t mean her cousin can marry me.”
"Is there...is there some misunderstanding here?" Staff Officer Xu frowned.
“There’s no misunderstanding,” Qin Yizhou said. “If you don’t believe me, you can listen to what others are saying. I took my wife and son to the cafeteria for a meal, and she was still being sarcastic. I’ve never been on a blind date with her cousin, nor have we had any contact with her. I’ve never wronged your family.”
Seeing Qin Yizhou's cold face, Staff Officer Xu was still skeptical. "Could it be that your wife has misunderstood?"
Staff Officer Xu believed that Song Fenglan must have said something to Qin Yizhou, otherwise, why would Qin Yizhou say such things?
"It's not a misunderstanding," Qin Yizhou emphasized again.
I have eyes and ears; I'm not deaf or blind. I'm telling you now only to avoid things getting too awkward later.
“There’s definitely a misunderstanding here,” Staff Officer Xu said. “I understand your sister-in-law. She’s always been timid and careful; she wouldn’t dare to talk nonsense. She wouldn’t dare.”
Staff Officer Xu waved his hand, still maintaining that his wife would never say such unpleasant things.
"How about this, have your wife and son come to my house for dinner, and we can have a proper talk," Staff Officer Xu suggested.
"No need!" Qin Yizhou said. "Coming here to invite trouble, what do you take my wife and children for? Since you've chosen to trust your wife, that's not wrong; she's the person you're going to spend your life with. However, I'm making this clear today: I will not tolerate anyone bullying my wife and children. Whether she's your wife or not, that's my stance. Do you really know what kind of person your wife is?"
Qin Yizhou turned and left, and when Staff Officer Xu saw this, his heart skipped a beat.
Staff Officer Xu knew that Qin Yizhou wasn't one to speak without reason, and he initially thought it wasn't a big deal, saying that Song Fenglan was making a mountain out of a molehill. Staff Officer Xu believed that they were both men, and men shouldn't bother with things that women bother with.
But when Staff Officer Xu saw Qin Yizhou leave like that, he wasn't in a good mood. Staff Officer Xu and Shi Guilan had been together for many years, and no one had ever said these things to Staff Officer Xu before.
What Staff Officer Xu didn't know was that those people dared not speak out. Many of their wives believed it was a conflict between women, nothing to discuss with their husbands—just a trivial matter. Others were concerned about Staff Officer Xu's status, fearing it would affect their men. If Shi Guilan bullied them, they would grit their teeth and bear it.
Therefore, it's normal that Staff Officer Xu didn't know about Shi Guilan's affairs. Shi Guilan stayed in the Revolutionary Committee, and she did some things on a regular basis. However, Shi Guilan would only say that she did well, not that she did badly. Also, everyone here was a soldier or a soldier's family member, so Shi Guilan didn't dare to go too far. She couldn't suggest that soldiers' families be sent to farms. If she really dared to do that, not only would the military leaders come after her, but her husband would also criticize her.
Shi Guilan often said that if something happened to someone else, she would go and help them. She worked very hard to do things well.
In the evening, Staff Officer Xu returned home and saw Shi Guilan busy cooking. The house was spotless, all thanks to Shi Guilan. Staff Officer Xu didn't want to believe that Shi Guilan had made things difficult for Qin Yizhou's wife. He thought that Qin Yizhou's wife had a bad family background, being a wealthy heiress from the bourgeoisie. Perhaps it was just that Qin Yizhou's wife had a bad temper.
"Have you met Qin Tuan's wife?" Staff Officer Xu asked.
“I saw her,” Shi Guilan said. “No wonder Commander Qin likes her. She is very beautiful. We really don’t have anyone as beautiful here. If you said she had never given birth, everyone would believe you. She doesn’t look like a mother. She looks more like a young girl who hasn’t been married yet.”
Shi Guilan said that on purpose, wondering if someone had said something unpleasant to her husband.
When Staff Officer Xu heard his wife say these things, he couldn't tell that she had any ill intentions towards Qin Tuan's wife.
"Does your cousin have a boyfriend?" Staff Officer Xu asked.
"Not yet," Shi Guilan said. "She's beautiful. Before... I didn't expect that what Qin Tuan said was true, that he really has a wife. Originally, we... not just me, thought that he wasn't married at all, and that even if he was, it was an arranged marriage. That's why... sigh, it was all a misunderstanding back then. I wonder if Qin Tuan's wife will know. I guess someone has already told her. Women care about these things the most."
Shi Guilan was afraid that Staff Officer Xu would be unhappy, so she thought that if she admitted her mistake, her man would be less angry.
“From now on, don’t mention your cousin marrying Commander Qin again,” Staff Officer Xu said. “It’s not good for people to misunderstand.”
“I didn’t say.” Shi Guilan sighed. “I was just thinking that my cousin is pretty, has a good figure, and can dance. I wanted to find her a good match. If Qin Tuan wasn’t good, I wouldn’t have thought of setting him up with my cousin in the first place.”
"Okay, that's fine," Staff Officer Xu said. "Qin Yizhou came to see me today, saying you gave his wife and children a hard time. I told him you're not that kind of person, there's been a misunderstanding. You should also behave yourself and not let people misunderstand."
"I definitely won't let them misunderstand." Shi Guilan nodded. "You know me. I'm from the countryside, and people don't like me. They think I have a lot of flaws. I'm not good at saying nice things, and I don't know how to flatter people. I...sigh..."
"Mom, I'm hungry." Shi Guilan's son was yelling that he was hungry and wanted to eat. The child was already tapping his bowl with his chopsticks, "Hungry, hungry, I'm hungry."
"It'll be ready soon," Shi Guilan said hurriedly. She put the stir-fried dishes on the table before serving the rice.
Shi Guilan first served rice to her husband and son, then glanced at her two stepdaughters and served them rice as well.
When her husband was alive, Shi Guilan would ask her stepdaughter to do less work so that she could do more, which would make her husband happy.
If her husband wasn't home, Shi Guilan would say: "Don't you have hands and feet? Do I have to bring you food to your mouth?"
“Honey, if they have any problems, tell me, and I’ll try to change what I can,” Shi Guilan said. “I also want to behave better, like those cultured people. But I’m just a roughneck, and people look down on me, so I can only try my best to do more.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, so you don’t need to change it,” Staff Officer Xu said. “Qin Yizhou is really good to his wife.”
Staff Officer Xu didn't say much about Song Fenglan's shortcomings. As a grown man, it wasn't appropriate for him to always meddle in these matters; it was better for the women to handle them. Men couldn't really manage women's affairs.
“Isn’t that wonderful?” Shi Guilan said. “His wife and children just arrived, and they’re very happy.”
Shi Guilan served food to her husband, thinking to herself that Song Fenglan had actually sent Qin Yizhou to say those things, and Song Fenglan didn't seem embarrassed at all. Shi Guilan believed that Song Fenglan was a woman who had to rely on men, and that Song Fenglan didn't know how to solve problems in a way that women should use.
Meanwhile, at the dinner table, Qin Yizhou recounted what he had said to Staff Officer Xu. That morning, Qin Yizhou had told his son and wife to eat dinner early and not wait for him. When Qin Yizhou returned, he saw the food on the table; his wife and son clearly hadn't eaten yet.
Song Fenglan wasn't specifically waiting for Qin Yizhou. The child had taken a nap in the afternoon and eaten a little something else, so he wasn't hungry yet. Song Fenglan decided to get the food later, since she wasn't sure if Qin Yizhou would come back for dinner, and she also got Qin Yizhou's portion of food.
"Don't wait for me to eat. I sometimes come home very late," Qin Yizhou said. "Don't go hungry."
“It’s not even 6:30 yet,” Song Fenglan said. “If you don’t come back soon, we’ll start eating.”
Song Fenglan couldn't let her son wait for Qin Yizhou on an empty stomach. "If you don't come back, I'll heat up your meal for Zihang later."
In this hot weather, food cannot be kept overnight.
Song Fenglan doesn't mind letting her son eat more; when her son is growing, he also eats something from time to time.
"I come back for meals most of the time," Qin Yizhou said. "If I come back very late, I'll most likely eat in the army canteen."
“Okay.” Song Fenglan nodded.
“Dad, someone’s rolling around.” Qin Zihang said. He thought of Grandma Fang sitting on the ground and couldn’t help but tell his father.
“She was lying on the ground,” Song Fenglan said. “The old lady from the Fang family.”
"She... are you going to see her?" Qin Zihang asked.
“The noise was so loud, how could we not hear it?” Song Fenglan said. “At the time, Sister Pang was still with us. As soon as her son heard something interesting, he immediately ran out.”
"Dad, someone is bullying Mom." Qin Zihang clenched his little fists. He still remembered that incident. "That person blocked Mom and me and wouldn't let us go home. She's so mean."
"Who are you talking about?" Qin Zihang frowned. "Is it Staff Officer Xu's wife?"
"It's her." Song Fenglan didn't expect Qin Zihang to say it before she did. She wasn't one to keep things to herself, and she planned to talk to Qin Yizhou about it later.
Qin Zihang truly lived up to his reputation as her son, which brought Song Fenglan considerable comfort.
“She’s a really strange person. You’re married, and that’s it,” Song Fenglan said. “I bet she’s still thinking about her cousin.”
Song Fenglan snorted coldly. Shi Guilan treated her like a clay figure, trying to bully her. Song Fenglan would never back down. If she did, she would only be bullied more and more later.
We are no longer in those special times. At this point in time, many things have taken a turn for the better and have changed.
“I’m telling her directly,” Song Fenglan said. “I can’t tolerate her.”
"She should have one set of rules in front of you, but in her..."
"She acts one way in front of men," Qin Yizhou said. "I spoke to her man today, specifically with Staff Officer Xu. Staff Officer Xu spoke well of her, implying it was all a misunderstanding."
"She's good? That means I'm not good?" Song Fenglan raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "That's true. It's not good for a husband to trust others instead of his wife."
“She’s bad, a big bad girl,” Qin Zihang said. “She’s a big bad girl who bullies Mom, and she’s bullied me too.”
“If you meet her again and she treats you badly, you don’t have to put up with it,” Qin Yizhou said.
“Of course I won’t tolerate it.” Song Fenglan put food on her son’s plate. “If she really wants to put on an act in front of her man, then let her put on an act. If she’s so capable, let her man come to me, let her man come to you.”
"I can't possibly side with them," Qin Yizhou said. Staff Officer Xu said he understood his wife, and Qin Yizhou thought he understood his wife too.
“Although it’s true that men shouldn’t meddle in women’s affairs, this whole thing was caused by you,” Song Fenglan said. “I don’t care how you handled it, don’t expect me to back down.”
"I'm not asking you to bow down." Qin Yizhou didn't dare to do that, and never even considered doing so. "There's no need to be polite to her. If she doesn't give us face, we don't need to give her face in return."
Qin Yizhou couldn't possibly think Shi Guilan was good if someone dared to criticize his wife right in front of him, a grown man. Qin Yizhou didn't regret saying those things to Staff Officer Xu. Stop saying men shouldn't get involved in those things; those are just excuses. Why didn't he speak up when his wife was wronged? Just because he's a man doesn't mean he should hide and watch, leaving women to solve their own problems.
Qin Yizhou was afraid that Song Fenglan would be unhappy, as his wife had come to accompany him to the army after much difficulty.
“We don’t live very close to her, so it’s not too bad,” Song Fenglan said. “Just wait and see, I heard she’s offended quite a few people.”
Song Fenglan bluntly stated that the Revolutionary Committee is already in a state of decline, and it will become even more so in the future, eventually leading to its abolition. When Shi Guilan was in the Revolutionary Committee, she did not send anyone to the countryside, but she still offended many people. Some of them married soldiers, and some were later rehabilitated. Did she really think that all those people would forgive Shi Guilan?
Shi Guilan doesn't know how to keep a low profile; such a person will inevitably face a bleak future.
"Don't wait for someone else to get back at her. It'll make us feel bad. Let's be direct." Qin Yizhou looked at Qin Zihang. "Zihang, remember to protect your mother."
"Yes, yes, I'm a man, I'll protect Mom." Qin Zihang's eyes darted around. "Dad, do you want to change your name?"
"Change your name?" Qin Yizhou asked, puzzled.
“Yes, change the character ‘一’ (one). Add one stroke to ‘一’ and it becomes ‘二’ (two). Add another stroke to ‘二’ and it becomes ‘三’ (three). The name will be changed.”
“He wanted to change his name to Qin Yiyi. Yiyi is easy to write,” Song Fenglan said. “I told him that Yiyi can become Er'er, San'san, and Shishi. Now, he doesn’t want to change his name anymore, but wants you to change yours.”
"Your grandfather named me, and it's been used for a long time, so it's hard to change," Qin Yizhou said seriously. "Our Zihang's name is very nice, very distinctive, and not easy for anyone to change. Your mother chose the best name, and your father likes it very much."
Whether the Qin family members like it or not, Qin Yizhou doesn't care; this is his and Song Fenglan's son.
"I like it too." Qin Zihang said with a little pride, "Didn't Mom choose Dad's name?"
“No, very few people have their names chosen by their mothers, which shows that both parents love their children very much,” Qin Yizhou said.
"Is it very rare?" Qin Zihang asked again.
“Yes, very few,” Qin Yizhou said. “Very few doesn’t mean bad; it means very rare. We, as your parents, love you very much.”
"Your father's name wasn't chosen by your mother. Did your father's mother like you?" Qin Zihang asked again.
"I do like it," Qin Yizhou said.
"My mom likes me more than I do," Qin Zihang said with a smug look. "I'm my mom's favorite baby."
“Yes, you are not only Mom’s favorite baby, but also Dad’s favorite baby,” Qin Yizhou said.
Qin Zihang was even happier when he heard this.
"Hurry up and eat," Song Fenglan teased. "If you eat so slowly, the food will go bad before you finish."
"Eating, eating." Qin Zihang quickly picked up a small spoon and scooped up rice. He ate by himself and did it quite well.
"Don't eat too fast, take smaller bites. No one's going to take it from you." Song Fenglan wiped her son's mouth with a handkerchief. "If you take too big a bite, you'll choke, you know?"
"If I choke, Mom will be sad," Qin Zihang said. "Then I'll have to take smaller sips."
After that, Qin Zihang ate in smaller bites, taking a few bites of rice and even drinking some soup.
Qin Yizhou didn't know what other people's children were like. He had heard Zhang Chenghai say that his child was very naughty, and wondered if Qin Zihang was a little too well-behaved. Right now, Qin Yizhou didn't think his son was particularly troublesome; he thought he was very well-behaved. People who haven't been raising children for very long are like that; they haven't realized how many things a small child can cause.
"Okay, eat slowly." Song Fenglan felt at ease watching her son eat bite by bite.
After dinner, Qin Yizhou went to wash the dishes, while Song Fenglan took Qin Zihang for a walk in the yard. The weeds in the yard had been cleared, leaving a large open space. Song Fenglan bought some ginger and garlic, which she planned to bury in the soil.
The garlic isn't growing well because it's not the right season, but the leaves are still nice. Besides ginger and garlic, you can also plant some scallions and chives; these are relatively easy to grow and don't require much care.
Qin Zihang was digging a hole over there with a small shovel.
Qin Yizhou came out of the yard and saw Qin Zihang digging a hole.
"Mom, hurry, put it down!" Qin Zihang said. "Quickly, quickly, put it down when it's not paying attention."
"Okay, put it down." Song Fenglan stuffed a clove of garlic down, "Quietly, and quickly."
"Cover yourself with a blanket." Qin Zihang even scooped some soil over. "Grow up obediently, okay?"
"Planting garlic?" Qin Yizhou walked over.
“Yes.” Song Fenglan nodded. “When you were weeding, didn’t you also turn over the soil? Plant some scallions, ginger and garlic. Having these things will make things much more convenient.”
These things aren't cheap, so it's more convenient to plant some in the yard.
Song Fenglan was thinking about making some food for the child later, like flatbread, which might come in handy. Besides flatbread, it could also be used to make scallion rolls, ginger could be used to make brown sugar ginger tea, and chives could be used to make chive dumplings. As for stir-fries, Song Fenglan wasn't good at them; her cooking was far inferior to her pastries.
"When you have some free time, build an oven in the yard," Song Fenglan said. "You can make roasted sweet potatoes, bread, and flatbread."
"You can do all of that?" Qin Yizhou asked in surprise.
"I'm not good at cooking, it's not like I don't know how," Song Fenglan said. "It's even harder to control the heat when stir-frying, and the seasonings are also hard to find."
Controlling the seasonings, such as kneading dough, is relatively easy. You can measure the weight and seasoning amount beforehand. While cooking, you can check the taste and make slight adjustments. Most importantly, Song Fenglan doesn't have to worry about oil splattering, getting burned, or whether the oil needs to be heated.
“We can make some steamed buns and mantou; we don’t always have to buy them from the cafeteria,” Song Fenglan said.
"Mom's steamed buns are delicious," Qin Zihang said. "Dad, have you ever eaten Mom's steamed buns? Have you ever eaten Mom's mung bean cakes? Have you ever eaten Mom's..."
"When we have time later," Qin Yizhou said, not letting his son continue.
"Dad, you've never eaten the steamed buns Mom made, nor the mung bean cakes, nor the sweet red bean paste bread Mom made," Qin Zihang said. "The plump white steamed buns, when you tear them open, layer by layer, and take a bite, they're so fragrant and sweet."
"..." Qin Yizhou's lips twitched slightly. His son really knew how to brag. "If I hadn't been with your mother, you wouldn't exist."
"Mom." Qin Zihang turned to look at his mother. "Mom, Dad has never eaten those delicious foods before."
“Yes, he didn’t eat; you ate first,” Song Fenglan said, amused.
"Yes, I ate first," Qin Zihang said. "I ate a lot, a lot."
"Let me do it." Qin Yizhou reached out to take the small shovel from Qin Zihang's hand, but Qin Zihang did not let go.
"I'll do it myself." Qin Zihang insisted on doing it himself.
“Let him do it. You’ve already turned the soil over; he can do it in a few strokes,” Song Fenglan said. “Let him play.”
"It's not for fun, it's farming," Qin Zihang said, indicating that he was doing something very important.
“Okay, let’s farm,” Song Fenglan said. “You’re doing something very serious.”
Fang Xudong, Gao Xiuxiu's husband, returned home and was quite helpless upon learning of his mother's actions. Unable to confront his own mother, he could only speak to his wife.
“Mom was afraid we’d send her back,” Fang Xudong said. “Mom didn’t mean to…”
"She didn't do it on purpose, but I did?" Gao Xiuxiu said unhappily. "I didn't say I wanted to send her back, it was..."
She said it herself, and she was still sitting in the yard. Many people, including those from Political Commissar Zhao's family, saw her.
Gao Xiuxiu pointed to her face, baring her teeth, "I've lost all face. Everyone thinks I'm a fierce daughter-in-law, an unfilial daughter-in-law. People are all advising me not to argue with an old woman. You too, saying your mother has had a hard life, just because I'm young, does that mean I have to put up with it?"
"Don't be angry," Fang Xudong comforted her. "It's all in the past now."
“In the past?” Gao Xiuxiu said, “You only earned that little bit of money, and you still had to send the money to your younger brother. If you hadn’t sent money to your brother, I wouldn’t have needed to go out to work and earn money.”
Gao Xiuxiu was truly at a loss. Although she only had one daughter and no other children, the household expenses were still considerable. Gao Xiuxiu also had her own family, who occasionally needed her help, so she couldn't do nothing. The money Gao Xiuxiu gave her family was actually relatively small; she didn't give them money every month, but rather some during holidays and when there were family emergencies.
Even so, her mother-in-law always said that she favored her own family. Gao Xiuxiu felt suffocated, because it wasn't like her own family hadn't helped her.
If Gao Xiuxiu's family hadn't had some business to attend to and couldn't come, and if Fang Xudong hadn't repeatedly asked Grandma Fang to come, Gao Xiuxiu would never have let her mother-in-law come.
Now, Gao Xiuxiu thinks that as a daughter-in-law, she should live separately from her mother-in-law; they shouldn't live under the same roof.
“The child is alright,” Fang Xudong said. “Mom didn’t do it on purpose, she…”
“I didn’t say she did it on purpose,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “You weren’t home, so you didn’t see it. She was rolling around on the ground and throwing a tantrum. So many people saw it. You’re not afraid of losing face, but I am. To suppress the matter, I even wrote a guarantee that I wouldn’t kick her out unless she agreed.”
Gao Xiuxiu felt aggrieved. Everyone advised her that as a daughter-in-law, she should be more tolerant and filial to her mother-in-law, and that the child's drowning was an accident. Of course, Gao Xiuxiu knew that her child's drowning was an accident, but it was an accident that could have been avoided.
The child is so small, not even a year old, and can't even walk steadily yet.
“Fine, I won’t send her away.” Gao Xiuxiu’s eyes were red. “Now everyone knows that I’m not good to my mother-in-law, and that I’m the one who made things difficult for her.”
“Alright,” Fang Xudong said. “Mom is a widow, she doesn’t feel secure, she…”
“You always say your mother is a widow and that she’s in a difficult position,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “Your mother isn’t in a difficult position when she’s taking money, or when she’s helping your brother take care of his child. It’s only when she’s helping us take care of our child that she’s in a difficult position. Your salary has to support your mother and your brother’s whole family.”
“My brother is having a tough time right now, but things will get better in a few years,” Fang Xudong said. “Don’t talk about these things, and don’t let Mom hear it.”
“So what if she hears it?” Gao Xiuxiu said. “Your mother can stay here. Do you think I can force her to leave?”
Fang Xudong had a headache. He stayed home for a while and then went out, not wanting to hear his wife's words, nor his mother's. Caught in the middle, Fang Xudong felt terrible; he was suffering inside.
When Gao Xiuxiu saw Fang Xudong leave, she didn't chase after him to stop him. Gao Xiuxiu knew her husband was just like that; when she had conflicts with her mother-in-law, he liked to avoid them and didn't want to resolve those problems at all.
When Fang Xudong passed by the Qin family's house, he saw the family of three chatting and laughing as they planted things in the yard, and he felt even more heartbroken. He had once thought that Qin Tuan's life wasn't so bad, but now he realized it wasn't so bad after all. If the child could come and join him when he was older, there would be far fewer problems.
Song Fenglan quickly noticed someone standing outside. She reached out and poked Qin Yizhou's arm, asking softly, "Who's that person outside?"
"I'll go take a look," Qin Yizhou said.
Qin Yizhou walked towards the door, while Fang Xudong wanted to leave. The two knew each other; they weren't exactly strangers.
"Commander Qin." Fang Xudong called out to Qin Yizhou as he came out.
"What is this..." Qin Yizhou paused for a moment, remembering what his wife had said before about Fang Xudong's biological mother sitting on the ground.
"I'll take a walk," Fang Xudong said.
"Then go for a walk." Qin Yizhou closed the door and went back to be with his wife and son. He didn't tell Fang Xudong to come in. Qin Yizhou had no intention of listening to Fang Xudong's complaints. It was someone else's family matter, and he shouldn't rush to be a caring and understanding man if the other person hadn't asked.
Song Fenglan had assumed Qin Yizhou would let Fang Xudong in, but she hadn't expected Qin Yizhou to return after only a few words with someone. "Didn't we chat for long?"
"I'm not their mentor; they have to face the dangers themselves and forge ahead bravely," Qin Yizhou said. "Everyone has a family to support!"
“It’s not small anymore,” Qin Zihang said. “It’s bigger than my great-aunt’s house, the rooms are bigger, everything is bigger.”
Song Fenglan and her son were living under someone else's roof. Their room was small, and even contained various odds and ends. After Song Fenglan gave birth, Aunt Yu moved the clutter out, while Song Fenglan bought baby supplies, which piled up in the room. Before leaving, some items remained, which Song Fenglan asked Aunt Yu to dispose of.
So, Aunt Yu's daughter, Jiang Yufei, set her sights on those things. She asked her mother, "Mom, shouldn't you clean out that room? I heard that Song Fenglan doesn't want those things anymore. What are you planning to do with them?"
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