Chapter 22: Rehabilitating the Person with No Other Intentions
“If you’re not Mommy’s little baby, then who is?” Song Fenglan squatted down slightly and rubbed her son’s head. “Auntie can bring you back too. Auntie might find it difficult to enter Mommy and Daddy’s room, but it’s much easier for you, little baby. Your clothes and blankets are all here. When Auntie is taking care of you, you can get things from here whenever you need them.”
"That scared me to death." Qin Zihang patted his chest lightly. "I thought you were going to let me come over to sleep."
"..." Qin Yizhou did want his son to sleep alone, but given the current situation, he and his wife had both gone to work, so it would probably have to wait a while before his son could sleep alone.
The next morning, as expected, Madam Su came to pick up Qin Zihang. Qin Zihang had not yet finished eating and was just about to eat.
“Next time, let Hangbao come to my place for dinner,” Madam Su said. “I made breakfast and just put it on the table to cool down. If you have to go to work, then go to work; you don’t need to make breakfast again.”
“We bought it from the cafeteria,” Song Fenglan said. She didn’t get up early to make breakfast.
"Buying from the cafeteria is fine, it saves us the trouble. Going out to work and then having to do so many things at home is exhausting," Mrs. Su remarked.
Song Fenglan handed the house key to Madam Su and told her about the room. Qin Zihang's clothes were all in the closet in that room, so Madam Su could go there to get Qin Zihang's clothes without having to buy any more.
"You're so thoughtful," Madam Su said. "Don't worry, I know what to do."
"Thank you," Song Fenglan said.
"You've said thank you so many times, no need to thank me," Mrs. Su said. "Hurry up, you all go to work, I'll take Hangbao with me."
“Okay.” Song Fenglan nodded.
Shi Guilan invited people to her home for dinner, intending to set up her cousin with Yue Hongwei. Yue Hongwei was the one who had helped Qin Yizhou and his wife clean up their yard before. He had been in the army for many years, and although his rank was lower than Qin Yizhou's, he was still a company commander.
Yue Hongwei knew that Li Hui was interested in Qin Yizhou, and he didn't really want to come for the blind date. Staff Officer Xu asked him to come and take a look, just in case he would change his mind after seeing him.
Several people sat at the dinner table. Li Hui remained silent; she was clearly not very satisfied with Yue Hongwei. Yue Hongwei wasn't particularly handsome, was even darker-skinned than Qin Yizhou, and held a lower position than Qin Yizhou.
“This is my cousin. You’ve met her before. She’s in the performing arts troupe.” Seeing that her cousin didn’t speak, Shi Guilan gently kicked Li Hui with her foot. “I think you two are quite a good match.”
"..." Yue Hongwei didn't want to say anything either. What do you mean by "matched"? He felt they were not a good match at all.
"Let's try it out first," Staff Officer Xu said.
"Staff Officer Xu," Yue Hongwei gritted his teeth, "I suddenly remembered I have to go to training, so I'm leaving now."
Yue Hongwei ate a few bites of food, but didn't eat much more, and quickly got up to leave. He felt the atmosphere was strangely awkward, and it was pointless for him to stay sitting there; Li Hui clearly wasn't interested in interacting with anyone.
Yue Hongwei was already dissatisfied with Li Hui, and after meeting her, he didn't feel that he had to marry her.
"Sit for a while longer," Staff Officer Xu said.
"I'm not sitting here anymore." Yue Hongwei got up and left.
Li Hui's eyes reddened. Yue Hongwei hadn't left yet, but Li Hui ran away.
"..." This left Yue Hongwei even more speechless. Li Hui was the one who didn't speak, and now Li Hui was the one who ran away.
"Sit down and eat," Staff Officer Xu said again.
"No need." Yue Hongwei quickly left. He regretted coming over; he shouldn't have listened to Staff Officer Xu.
Li Hui's blind date with Yue Hongwei failed. She felt that she was the most beautiful girl in the art troupe, and she thought that things between her and Yue Hongwei would naturally fall into place and that Yue Hongwei would coax her. But Yue Hongwei just said he was leaving so easily.
Shi Guilan chased after her, she
He clearly hadn't expected his cousin to run away so suddenly.
"Why did you run away?" Shi Guilan chased after him downstairs.
"If I don't run away, will I stay and be humiliated?" Li Hui wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"He has training..."
“He’s lying. If there’s training, why did he come?” Li Hui asked. “He just doesn’t want to be with me.”
"This..." Shi Guilan could also sense Yue Hongwei's displeasure. Yue Hongwei didn't want to be with Li Hui. "If this one doesn't work, then find someone else."
"..." Li Hui bit her lip.
“There are so many people here, it’s not like you have to choose him,” Shi Guilan said. “You can always find someone suitable for you.”
When Li Hui's blind date failed, others laughed at her.
"Maybe she likes married men, and she's waiting for her wife to die in childbirth. She's just like her cousin."
"None of them are good people."
"How much can we expect from those two sisters?"
...
People are talking badly about Shi Guilan and Li Hui behind their backs. These two are cousins, so they must have a lot in common.
Shi Guilan no longer likes to go out; people are always talking about her and her cousin. Shi Guilan has told her cousin several times to stop being so picky and to get married quickly, because that would make things easier. If her cousin doesn't get married soon, many things will be difficult to manage.
Staff Officer Xu was telling the truth. He had called his first wife's mother, his mother-in-law, Old Lady Cao. After learning that Shi Guilan had caused trouble, Old Lady Cao immediately promised that she would take good care of her granddaughters after she came over. She was also a relative of Shi Guilan, and with her there, she would make sure that her two granddaughters were not bullied.
Three days later, Old Lady Cao arrived with her luggage. She knew where Staff Officer Xu's house was, so she went straight there.
When Shi Guilan opened the door and saw Old Lady Cao, Old Lady Cao didn't even look at Shi Guilan.
“Auntie,” Shi Guilan said, that’s what she called Old Lady Cao back in her hometown.
Grandma Cao ignored Shi Guilan and went to see her two granddaughters.
"..." Shi Guilan looked embarrassed.
"What?" Old Mrs. Cao said, "I've arrived, and there's not even a cup of water for me?"
"Yes, yes." Shi Guilan could only go and pour water for Old Lady Cao.
“I thought you were an honest person before, but who would have thought you… haha, you’ve gotten yourself into trouble,” said Old Mrs. Cao.
“That’s all a misunderstanding,” Shi Guilan said.
"It's all a misunderstanding?" Old Mrs. Cao said. "Do you think everyone else is a fool?"
"I……"
"Shut up," said Old Lady Cao. "People like you only know how to pretend when you're not in power, but once you are, you start bullying others."
"No." Shi Guilan denied that she was that kind of person.
"Do you think we don't know?" Old Mrs. Cao said. "Your husband told me that you bullied your two stepdaughters and other military wives. You have completely disgraced the Shi family. When my daughter was here, she got along well with everyone and never offended anyone like this."
“That person hadn’t arrived yet when your daughter was here,” Shi Guilan said. “This matter isn’t my fault, it’s…”
"It's someone else's fault, not yours." Old Mrs. Cao rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I'm easy to fool?"
With Grandma Cao's arrival, Shi Guilan couldn't be as at ease as before. Grandma Cao had to buy groceries and cook, and of course, she would let her granddaughter, who was related to her by blood, eat more, while Shi Guilan's son was not related to her by blood.
They're relatives, but they're all very distant relatives.
At the dinner table, Grandma Cao served food to her two granddaughters. The two granddaughters looked at Shi Guilan, and Grandma Cao said, "She is your heartless stepmother. When you grow up, you don't need to be filial to her. She has her own biological son."
"..." Shi Guilan felt sad.
"You're so thin, eat more." Old Mrs. Cao said to her granddaughter, then glanced coldly at Shi Guilan, "Look at your stepmother, you're so strong and fat yourself."
Grandma Cao dared to say such things in front of Staff Officer Xu, and she even took her two granddaughters out to play. The two granddaughters are named Xu Chunhua and Xu Xiahua, and both children are rather quiet.
Song Fenglan picked up Qin Zihang from Madam Su's place and happened to run into Old Lady Cao, who was out playing with her two children, on the way. This was the first time Song Fenglan had met Old Lady Cao, and she was unaware that Staff Officer Xu had brought his first wife's biological mother to live with them.
Let alone Old Lady Cao, Song Fenglan might not even know any of the other people living here.
"She is Qin Tuan's wife." Someone recognized Old Lady Cao, she had been here before, and someone had a good relationship with Old Lady Cao, so they pointed her out to her.
"Sigh, it's just that my son-in-law's wife is jealous of her," said Old Mrs. Cao. "She's so beautiful, much prettier than Shi Guilan."
"Even if you're jealous, you can't go to such lengths to harm people," someone else said.
"Yes, that's exactly right. Otherwise, my son-in-law wouldn't have asked me to come," said Old Mrs. Cao. "I originally thought that since my son-in-law had already married another woman, it wouldn't be appropriate for me, his mother-in-law, to come. Who knew that Shi Guilan would bully others and the two children, so my son-in-law asked me to come. I couldn't refuse; I still had to come and take care of the children."
“Yes, yes, you have to come over,” someone else said.
Old Mrs. Cao didn't go to Song Fenglan's side; there was nothing good to say about it. Those things were Shi Guilan's doing, and Old Mrs. Cao believed they had nothing to do with her or her two granddaughters. She had no reason to approach Song Fenglan.
Grandma Cao thought that Song Fenglan might not be willing to talk to them. If it were her, she wouldn't want to talk to anyone either.
“Shi Guilan thinks everyone else is a coward,” said Old Lady Cao. “She has a problem with her ideology.”
Grandma Cao said these things directly, without any fear of losing face. She wanted everyone to know that she understood Shi Guilan's foolishness and that she regretted letting her son-in-law marry Shi Guilan.
"Mom," Qin Zihang heard what Grandma Cao said, "who is that person?"
"Don't worry about who she is," Song Fenglan said. "If these people invite you to play, don't go, okay? Just listen to your aunt and don't run around. Don't think that just because you know someone, you can go with them."
Some human traffickers initially live next door to people, becoming their neighbors, and later abduct the children. The children and their parents often assume that since it's someone they know, there's no problem, unaware of the serious issues at play.
“I won’t listen to them,” Qin Zihang said. “Mom, you’ve been coming home very late lately, and Dad comes home even later than you.”
"Are you unhappy?" Song Fenglan asked.
"I miss my mom a little," Qin Zihang said. "She used to come home earlier."
"Mom has to work hard, your grandparents haven't gone back home yet." Song Fenglan wanted to try harder so that her parents could return to the city sooner.
Only by demonstrating her strength and making others realize her importance and the significant benefits she can bring can she make demands on them.
"Mom wants you to be well too," Song Fenglan said.
"Should we go back?" Qin Zihang asked.
"Go back to the capital?" Song Fenglan asked. "There will be a time to go back."
"I'll stay with Mom." Qin Zihang gripped Song Fenglan's hand tightly. "Mom, I can do math now."
“Okay, sure,” Song Fenglan said.
“One plus one equals four, two plus two equals four,” Qin Zihang said. “My aunt says I’m very smart.”
"She is very smart," Song Fenglan chuckled. "She should learn from her."
Song Fenglan didn't tell her son to be humble, nor did she say he wasn't good enough. In her eyes, her son was very smart and did a great job. She believed that parents who constantly criticize their children are likely to make them feel inferior and timid.
"Brother Xiaohu tried to steal our dog, and I saw him!" Qin Zihang said.
"Oh?" Song Fenglan asked, puzzled.
"I saw him carrying the puppy away, and I called out to him. Brother Xiaohu said he was going to groom the puppy."
"And then?" Song Fenglan asked.
"His mother hit him," Qin Zihang said. "She spanked him, hit him again and again?"
"Hmm?" Song Fenglan wondered what Zhang Xiaohu was using to groom the puppy. "Did he take his mother's hair comb?"
“Yes, Mom, how did you know?” Qin Zihang said, “Brother Xiaohu said that he was originally going to take the dog back to groom it before bringing it back to us. He groomed the dog secretly so that he wouldn’t be discovered.”
"And you, you don't know how to take Mom's..."
"Did you use the hairbrush to groom the dog?" Song Fenglan asked.
"No." Qin Zihang shook his head. "My aunt said she has one. She gave me a small comb."
Madam Su had a comb that she had used for a long time, and several small wooden pieces had broken off. Madam Su gave the comb to Qin Zihang so that he could play with it.
"My aunt said you can't put the comb in your mouth, and if you comb your hair, you can't lick it," Qin Zihang said. "I didn't lick it."
Qin Zihang wasn't that curious about this; he listened to his elders.
"When Little Tiger was being hit by his mother, he tried to run away, but he couldn't," Qin Zihang said. "He ran here and there, and he even ran behind me, but it was no use. His mother caught him in no time and slapped him repeatedly."
Qin Zihang gestured over there, making it sound very vivid.
Shi Guilan was washing dishes at home. After she finished, she looked at Staff Officer Xu sitting in the living room.
"Has your cousin's matter been settled?" Staff Officer Xu asked.
"Not yet," Shi Guilan said.
"Make a decision as soon as possible," Staff Officer Xu said. "Many people are afraid of your cousin because of her. If she continues to delay, it will be even more difficult in the future."
“I told her,” Shi Guilan said. “We’ll definitely finalize it as soon as possible.”
"Yes." Staff Officer Xu nodded.
"My aunt..."
"What's wrong with her?" Staff Officer Xu asked.
"No, it's nothing." Shi Guilan wanted to say something bad about Old Lady Cao, but Staff Officer Xu clearly didn't think Old Lady Cao was that bad. If Shi Guilan continued, she was afraid she would annoy Staff Officer Xu.
“Mom is here to help take care of the child, so lend a hand,” Staff Officer Xu said. “She’s not your mother, but you should at least call her Auntie. Mom always handles things very well, so you should learn from her. Everyone says Mom does a great job, and even after she goes back, people still speak well of her.”
"..." Shi Guilan thought, what good could Old Lady Cao possibly be? These people treat her like a maid or a nanny.
When Song Fenglan and her son returned to their doorstep, Zhang Xiaohu ran over again. Zhang Xiaohu had angered his mother again, and fearing she would beat him, he started to run away.
"Run away, you're running away again." The fat woman came out with a bamboo strip.
Zhang Xiaohu hid behind Song Fenglan and peeked out slightly, "I didn't say anything wrong. Mom, your cooking isn't good. It's not as good as Auntie's cooking."
“I…I don’t have the cooking skills, but you’re my son,” said the plump woman.
"The child isn't eating?" Song Fenglan asked.
“He’s not refusing to eat, he’s cursing the cook,” said the plump woman. “He even asked me when I would cook with you, so we could cook together and each of us could share half. Look at him, he’s so clueless, who’s so troublesome?”
"I really don't have time," Song Fenglan said. "I have to wait until the holidays to knead the dough and make the pancakes."
"I want to eat baked flatbread," Zhang Xiaohu said.
"Have your dad get an oven, we'll cook it ourselves," said the plump woman, feeling embarrassed to suggest that Song Fenglan cook it.
“But Mom, what you made doesn’t taste good,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “It’s super awful, I can’t swallow it.”
"Can't swallow it? I see you've already eaten it, so stop saying it's not good." The fat woman really had no way to deal with her youngest son. Her eldest son was sensible and well-behaved, while her youngest son was mischievous and naughty. "Fenglan, you don't need to pay attention to him. That's just how this child is."
The portly woman was worried that Song Fenglan would misunderstand and think they wanted her to cook for them, but she didn't mean that. She had told Zhang Xiaohu many times that their family and Qin Zihang's family were two separate families, not one, and they couldn't keep bothering others. Song Fenglan had to go to work and didn't have time to take care of the children, so how could the portly woman let Song Fenglan cook for her own child?
"I'm so sorry," said the plump woman. "I've told him several times, but he's still the same."
The plump woman was extremely embarrassed; her cheeks were burning. Her youngest son was just so clueless.
"It's alright." Song Fenglan noticed the fat woman's embarrassment. The fat woman wasn't using the child's words to get Song Fenglan to do those things. The fat woman was right about one thing: children are like that. They don't have a sense of right and wrong, and they don't understand those things. They say and do what they think.
Song Fenglan didn't think it was a problem that Zhang Xiaohu was so lively; children should be a little more vibrant. Looking at her own son, Song Fenglan felt he was a little too mature for his age.
"Mom's tired, I won't do it," Qin Zihang said.
"Would you like some baked flatbread?" Song Fenglan asked.
"I want to...I don't want to," Qin Zihang said. He was eating a baked flatbread, a sauerkraut flatbread, topped with fragrant black sesame seeds.
“We’ll do it this weekend,” Song Fenglan said.
“Let’s do it together,” Zhang Xiaohu shouted.
"No need to come together. Your aunt can teach me later," said the plump woman. "You should go back and have your dad build the oven. Otherwise, when your aunt wants to make pancakes, we won't be at home without the tools to do it."
"Zhang Chenghai, your wife wants you to make the grill!" Zhang Xiaohu shouted. "Zhang Chenghai, Zhang Chenghai!"
The fat woman couldn't hold back any longer. She went over and dragged Zhang Xiaohu away, saying, "What are you yelling for? What kind of child calls their father like that?"
Qin Zihang rubbed his ears, and Little Tiger's mother was pulling Little Tiger's ears again.
"My ears are getting longer," Qin Zihang said.
“It’s not like your ears have grown longer,” Song Fenglan said.
“Little Tiger Brother’s ears are also ears,” Qin Zihang said.
“Yes, Xiaohu’s ears are ears too.” Song Fenglan led her son back home.
Qin Yizhou hadn't arrived home yet; he didn't get back until around nine o'clock in the evening. Sometimes there were things to do at the military base, and Qin Yizhou wasn't sure when he would get home. When he returned, Qin Zihang had just fallen asleep.
"Why is his hand on his ear?" Qin Yizhou asked, puzzled.
“He saw Fatty grab Zhang Xiaohu’s ear, and he got scared,” Song Fenglan said. “He just asked why he had such a mother.”
There are many children in the world, and every child's mother is different.
Qin Zihang said over there that he didn't want Xiaohu's mother to be his mother, he only wanted his current mother. Song Fenglan said some things to the child, telling him not to worry, that she was Qin Zihang's mother, and that would never change.
“His aunt treats him very well,” Song Fenglan said, but Madam Su did not pull Qin Zihang’s ear.
When Grandma Cao arrived at the residential compound, it was like a stone falling into a lake, creating ripples.
When Song Fenglan was on holiday, Qin Yizhou happened to be on holiday as well. The couple kneaded dough to make flatbreads, and the plump woman even brought over some dough, learning from the process. Since the ingredients weren't mixed properly, the plump woman asked Song Fenglan to teach her how to add the seasonings.
“Shi Guilan hasn’t dared to come out lately; she’s been much quieter,” said the plump woman. “No sooner has she come out than her aunt does.”
"Her aunt?" Song Fenglan asked, puzzled.
“Her husband’s mother-in-law,” the plump woman said. “The biological mother of his first wife. With this elder around, Shi Guilan is much more at ease.”
“It’s time to calm down a bit,” Song Fenglan said.
"Do you want to go over there? "And tell her aunt about her awful behavior?" the plump woman asked.
“I’m not going,” Song Fenglan said. “If I step in dog poop on the road, I can’t keep looking back at it.”
“That’s true.” The plump woman agreed with Song Fenglan. “It’s not very useful to say anything. Those people are family after all, and we are all outsiders. They still have to live together, so how can they say anything unpleasant? It’s all just for show.”
Song Fenglan didn't rush towards Shi Guilan because she thought Shi Guilan was like dog shit; arguing with such a person would only make her more disgusting. When you encounter someone like that, you should stay away from them, wash away the dog shit, and not give it a chance to stick to you.
Once the dough had fermented, Song Fenglan had already stir-fried the pickled cabbage and sesame seeds. Seeing Song Fenglan's preparation, the plump woman decided to go back and try to imitate her.
Both sides had baked some flatbreads. Zhang Xiaohu came over with two flatbreads, wanting to trade with Qin Zihang. Zhang Xiaohu thought his mother's flatbreads were no good; they had blackened spots and were clearly burnt. Looking at Song Fenglan's flatbreads, Zhang Xiaohu hadn't even taken a bite yet, but they already looked crispy and delicious.
Qin Zihang picked up a piece of flatbread and stuffed it into Zhang Xiaohu's mouth, saying, "No need to exchange it, here's one for you."
"Delicious, delicious." Zhang Xiaohu took a bite, but he still gave the two flatbreads from his own family to Qin Zihang. "I'll eat the ones your mom made, and you can try the ones my mom made too. Your mom's flatbreads are delicious, mine aren't so good, but you can still eat them."
"But you said your mom's cooking isn't good." Qin Zihang didn't want to eat.
"Put it over there." Song Fenglan was speechless. Fatty Sister-in-law was still next door, and these two kids were already saying that Fatty Sister-in-law's baked pancakes weren't good.
“Then we won’t eat what my mom makes,” Zhang Xiaohu said.
"Okay," Qin Zihang said. "My mom's cooking is delicious."
"Hmm, your mom's cooking is delicious. Can I borrow your mom to be my mom?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.
"No way," Qin Zihang refused.
"I will pay you back. My mother said that if you borrow and repay, it's easy to borrow again," Zhang Xiaohu said.
"Mom can't lend it," Qin Zihang replied earnestly. "We are all Mom's one and only babies."
"No, that's not true. I have an older brother. I'm not unique." Zhang Xiaohu took another bite of the flatbread. It was delicious.
The pickled cabbage was stir-fried with lard, which makes it more fragrant. At this time of year, many people are lacking in oil and fat, so they prefer lard.
Song Fenglan deliberately added lard and stir-fried it briefly, while Qin Yizhou watched from the side. Qin Yizhou was still thinking about how Song Fenglan had said the stir-fries didn't taste very good; could she really cook this pickled cabbage well?
At the time, Song Fenglan said frankly: "The sauerkraut tastes good on its own, so I don't need to do much processing."
Zhang Xiaohu's older brother didn't run over; he was over there eating the pancakes his mother had made.
Then, Song Fenglan asked Zhang Xiaohu to take a piece over so his brother could try it too. Zhang Xiaohu took Song Fenglan's baked flatbread over, saying, "Brother, you eat Mom's baked flatbread; it tastes like Mom. You don't need to eat this..."
Zhang Xiaohu's older brother took the pancake from Zhang Xiaohu's hand and took a big bite in front of Zhang Xiaohu.
"Hey, bro, how could you take a bite? Just take one bite, and give me the rest, give it all to me," Zhang Xiaohu said.
“There’s saliva on it,” Zhang Wen said.
"I'm not afraid, you're my brother, I'm not afraid." Zhang Xiaohu reached out to snatch the pancake from his brother's hand.
Looking at the flatbread she had made, the plump woman stuffed it into her husband's hand, urging him to try it.
"It tastes alright." Zhang Chenghai always eats his wife's cooking; if it's palatable, he'll eat it.
"Not bad? Look how much your two sons complain about the food I make." The plump woman sighed. "Before, they didn't complain, but now, with their sister-in-law as a comparison, they both prefer her cooking."
"It's nice to change things up sometimes," Song Fenglan said.
The two families talked across the fence. The plump woman sighed, realizing that her version of the same thing always fell short. Even though they were put in at the same time, the cooking time was slightly different.
After Song Fenglan finished making the baked cakes, she took a bamboo basket and filled it with some more, intending to give these cakes to Mrs. Su and her husband to try.
"We're going to your aunt's house. Are you staying at home or coming with us?" Song Fenglan asked her son.
"I'm at home," Qin Zihang replied. "I'm with my dad."
Qin Zihang had been staying with Madam Su, so he rarely saw his father. Lately, his father had been coming home very late. Qin Zihang wanted to spend more time with his father and see him more often.
“Mom can keep Auntie company. Auntie is very nice,” Qin Zihang said.
“Okay, Mom will keep Auntie company.” Song Fenglan instructed Qin Yizhou, “Keep an eye on the child. The pancakes are too hot, so don’t let him eat too many, or he’ll get constipated.”
“I’ll keep an eye on it,” Qin Yizhou said.
"Don't let him eat more just because he begs for food," Song Fenglan said. "The egg tarts are ready too, you can let him have two."
"Mom, I'll be good." Qin Zihang felt guilty. He wasn't trying to eat more; he just wanted to keep his dad company.
Song Fenglan made about twenty egg tarts, and she planned to take six to the Su family. Children like to eat these, and since Song Fenglan was making these kinds of food at home today, she might as well make a little extra.
When Madam Su saw Song Fenglan bringing so much food, she said, "Why are you being so polite with us?"
“I made it myself,” Song Fenglan said. “My mother taught me how to make some pastries before, and this is the simplest one.”
Song's mother taught her to make more sophisticated pastries, while baking cakes was a relatively simple task. Song's mother had hoped that Song Fenglan, as a modern woman, would have some culinary skills, and that she could bake some pastries after marriage to add some romance to her relationship with her husband.
When Song Fenglan lived in the Song family, there were servants to cook, so Song's mother didn't have to lift a finger. Sometimes, Song's mother would still cook some dishes and make some pastries.
“Your mother must be a good person,” Mrs. Su said.
“Yes,” Song Fenglan replied.
"Don't worry, the difficult times will always pass." Madam Su gently patted Song Fenglan's hand.
"Is Uncle not home?" Song Fenglan asked.
"He went to work again," Mrs. Su said. "He had a sudden idea and went there instead of resting at home."
“My uncle has a heavy responsibility,” Song Fenglan said. “He has to be at the forefront.”
“Sometimes, I wish he were a more ordinary person,” Mrs. Su sighed. “But then I think about how our country needs people like him, so let him be more capable.”
Mrs. Su was able to endure loneliness and solitude for the sake of her country, not for anything else, and her forbearance was all worthwhile.
“If your uncle were still alive, he would definitely be the same,” Madam Su said. “What a pity…”
If Song Xingyun were alive, the Song family would never have ended up like this.
“My uncle’s dream is my dream,” Song Fenglan said.
Time passed day by day, and soon half a month had gone by. In the blink of an eye, it was late July.
The radar-resistant paint formula that Song Fenglan had previously submitted was applied to the fighter jets and indeed proved effective in blocking radar detection. This greatly shocked Professor Su and the others; the formula was truly so effective.
The higher-ups had to pay more attention to Song Fenglan, especially since many things had changed that year. They also knew that Song Xingyun had been assassinated while trying to return to the country to serve his country. If Song Fenglan was as intelligent as she was, they feared she might become the next target. Therefore, they had to keep a close eye on Song Fenglan.
The director found Song Fenglan and asked her what she wanted. "Anything we can do, we can do," he said.
"Can my parents and brothers return to the city?" Song Fenglan asked. "Can you exonerate them? Our family is wholeheartedly devoted to the country and has no other intentions."
There is no such radar-resistant paint abroad, so this formula could not have been imported from overseas.
The higher-ups would realize this after a little thought; Song Fenglan is truly capable.
The director knew beforehand that Song Fenglan's family background was problematic, and that her parents and relatives lived on the farm. Whenever she had the chance, Song Fenglan wanted to clear her family's name.
"I will report this matter to my superiors," the director said. "Comrade Song Fenglan, please rest assured, the country knows about your contributions."
"Thank you for your trouble." Song Fenglan bowed to the director.
“Recently, some people have also raised the issue of exoneration,” the director said. “This is something that will happen sooner or later. Since you have brought it up, we will do our best.”
The director meant that Song Fenglan could make other requests, but Song Fenglan had no other requests except for her family to be exonerated. Once exonerated, those things would naturally be returned. Song Fenglan knew, of course, that it would take anywhere from a few months to a year for the Song family to be exonerated, but if no one brought it up, it would take much longer.
Song Fenglan wanted her family to leave the farm as soon as possible. She didn't have any older sisters, but she did have older brothers. If other relatives of the Song family were implicated by the Song family, and the Song family was exonerated, they would also be exonerated.
Before her family members were exonerated, Song Fenglan did not tell anyone else.
The development of radar-resistant stealth fighters caught the attention of the national leadership. Higher authorities expedited the process, reaching out to specific individuals. The national leadership ultimately decided on four words: "Pillars of the Nation."
This is still a crucial and critical moment, but there are still some things that need to be done.
With the approval of the national leadership, Mr. and Mrs. Song were able to return to the city. The whole process was completed in less than a week. As for the Song family's assets, one house was returned to them for them to live in first, and the rest would be returned gradually later.
Mr. and Mrs. Song were surprised that they were able to return to the city so easily; they had assumed it was because the Qin family had helped them. But then they thought again and realized something was amiss. If the Qin family wanted to help them, they hadn't done so before, except for Qin Yizhou sending them some things. Or had the situation changed, and the Qin family suddenly stepped in?
After returning to the city, the first thing Song's mother thought of was calling Song Fenglan. Song Fenglan went to work and called home in the evening.
"Did you ask your son-in-law to help us out?" Song's mother asked.
“No,” Song Fenglan said. “They’re too busy looking down on us to help us. Mom, don’t worry, it’s not because of the Qin family. I met Uncle Su and Professor Su here. He got me a job at the research institute, and I’ve made some progress. The director asked me what I wanted, and I told him I wanted you to be exonerated and to be able to return to the city.”
"You..." Song's mother's eyes reddened slightly, "Did Professor Su give you the research results?"
If that's the case, they owe Professor Su a huge debt.
"No," Song Fenglan said, "It wasn't given to me by my uncle. Mom, don't worry, it's my own hard work and talent. It's the result of my efforts, don't worry, I didn't take advantage of them, I didn't cheat them. The research institute is a classified unit, I can't tell you about those things. But remember, it's all based on my own abilities. You can rest assured, go back to the city."
"Okay, just stay put and relax. In a year or two, the policies will change significantly."
"Okay." Mother Song nodded. "As for the Qin family..."
“Mom, you don’t need to go to the Qin family,” Song Fenglan said. “They’re not very happy with me. If you go now, they’ll avoid you like the plague. Even if you’re exonerated, you’ll still have to wait.”
Things will be much better by October, then the college entrance examination will be reinstated in 1977, and the following year, reform and opening up will begin. By then, the Song family won't need to keep such a low profile.
"Mom, you've just come back from the farm, take good care of yourselves," Song Fenglan said. "And my eldest brother and the others, they've gone back to the city, take good care of yourselves first."
"Okay, Mom got it," said Song's mother. "You also need to be careful. Where's Hangbao?"
“He’s at home, he just fell asleep,” Song Fenglan said. “We’re getting a telephone installed at home tomorrow, so we can answer calls from home.”
"Okay, okay." Song's mother shed tears; they had had a very hard life all these years.
Song's mother hadn't expected them to be able to return to the city; she even thought that if they couldn't, there was nothing she could do. Song's mother was worried, and her health deteriorated significantly. She was considered relatively well-off; some people couldn't bear it and even committed suicide.
Fortunately, they made it back to the city.
The Song family's return to the city was a big deal. Song's mother took some things to Aunt Yu's place. Aunt Yu had taken Song Fenglan in for so long, so Song's mother naturally wanted to thank her.
Early in the morning, when Aunt Yu saw Song's mother, she felt a little guilty. She felt that she had taken a lot of things from the Song family, but Song Fenglan was not living a very comfortable life at home. Song Fenglan had even gone to join the army.
"Little sister." Mother Song did not blame Aunt Yu; she thought Aunt Yu had already done a very good job.
Under those circumstances, it was remarkable that Aunt Yu was able to persuade Song Fenglan to stay and even helped her take care of the children. You know, many families take bribes beforehand and then turn their backs on you.
“Our family has been exonerated,” said Song’s mother. “From now on, we will live in the capital, and one of our houses has been returned to us.”
"Really?" Aunt Yu had been wondering if her sister would only be back for a few days before going back again. Hearing that her sister had been exonerated, she felt much more at ease. "This is a very happy occasion. Does Fenglan know?"
“She knows,” Song’s mother replied.
"Did the Qin family help you?" Aunt Yu asked. Many people thought that the Qin family had helped the Song family, after all, the Qin family was very capable.
Song's mother shook her head. "It wasn't them."
"If it wasn't them..."
“She’s your brother-in-law’s friend.” Song’s mother didn’t mention Song Fenglan’s abilities; some things were better left unsaid. As long as the family was exonerated, that was more important than anything else. “It’s good enough that we can come back.”
“Fenglan has gone to join the army, and she may not be back for a while,” Aunt Yu said.
"It's good that she's with the army," said Song's mother. "When things get better at home, we can all be reunited when she comes back. Please take care of Fenglan and her son these days."
"It was all just a small favor," Aunt Yu said. "I didn't do much, just simple things. There's nothing I did well, I..."
"That's not bad," Song's mother stopped Aunt Yu from continuing. "You've had to go through a lot."
Aunt Yu's eyes were red. Song's mother understood Aunt Yu. Aunt Yu had a mother-in-law and other relatives above her. Her younger sister had had a hard time.
On the other side, when Sister-in-law Qin learned that the Song family had been exonerated, she was unaware of the intricacies involved. Her first thought was whether her father had helped exonerate the Song family. How many connections would that have required? The situation had been very turbulent lately; how could her father have done something like that at a time like this?
"Has Dad gone mad?" Sister-in-law Qin said to Brother Qin in private. "Isn't he afraid of dragging our family down with him by helping the Song family so much?"
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