Chapter 43 Cowards Only Dare to Hide
“The written agreement has already been drawn up,” Brother Qin said. “We’ve been living away from home for a while now, and my wife has learned her lesson. She’s been busy with all sorts of things lately, and she knows she was wrong.”
"If she knows she's wrong, why doesn't she come out and apologize?" Aunt Qin said. "Hidden in the kitchen, does she think she's just cooking and doesn't need to come out? Didn't she even glance at her?"
Aunt Qin just saw Sister-in-law Qin peeking out; Sister-in-law Qin was hiding there eavesdropping. Does Aunt Qin really think she knows nothing? Perhaps this couple is still thinking of re-signing the agreement, thinking that once it's in writing, there won't be any other problems.
"I shouldn't say too much about your family's affairs. But... at least make an appearance," Aunt Qin said. "Do you really have to move back this year? Can't you wait until next year?"
If all else fails, Mr. and Mrs. Qin can feign illness and say they need care, then Mr. and Mrs. Qin can move in with their child. That would be perfectly logical, and everyone would save face and have a legitimate reason.
Don't say that going home for the Chinese New Year is a legitimate reason. We live so close, we can walk here, why do we have to move here for the New Year?
Taking care of the elderly requires running back and forth between two places, which is troublesome, and there are also times when the elderly are not taken care of.
Aunt Qin thought that her nephew had given up on even pretending. His wife had caused such a mess, and he still had the nerve to say such things.
"I'm going back now, I won't stay here for lunch." Aunt Qin stood up, wanting these people to think it over carefully. There was no point in her staying here; they wouldn't listen to her anyway.
After Aunt Qin left, Qin's father looked at Qin
Big brother.
"Let's listen to your aunt and talk about it later." Qin's father did not expect Qin Yizhou to be so firm this time. When Qin Yizhou wanted to marry Song Fenglan, his attitude was also very firm.
"Then let's wait a while." Brother Qin didn't want to bring up the matter of moving back again.
A small house is still a small house, not as good as a big house here. Of course, Brother Qin wants to live in a big house.
This time, it wasn't Sister-in-law Qin who suggested moving back; it was Brother Qin who said so.
The Qin family sat there in silence for a long time until Qin's sister-in-law came out of the kitchen to call them to eat, at which point they got up and went to the dining table.
Song Fenglan and the others went directly to the Song family's house for dinner, as it would take them quite some time to cook at home. The Song family had informed Song Fenglan beforehand that they would be cooking extra food, and the whole family would be coming over to eat.
After lunch, Qin Yizhou took Qin Zihang to take a nap. Song Fenglan stayed at the Song family home, with Cao Fang beside her.
Cao Fang was willing to listen to the matters concerning the Song and Qin families; it wasn't that she couldn't.
Song Fenglan and her family were talking in the living room when Song's mother asked, "The Qin family didn't give you any trouble, did they?"
“That’s how it is,” Song Fenglan said. “They’re bound to be unhappy, and so be it. I’m unhappy too. I won’t put up with them. The old me is not the same as the current me. I can’t bow my head like I used to.”
"Don't bow your head," said Song's mother. "If you get used to bowing your head, they'll only make you continue to do so. What does your son-in-law think?"
“We brought some pastries over for Zihang to eat. His eldest nephew kept asking for some, but I didn’t give them to him,” Song Fenglan said. “His mother directly asked me to give them some, but I still didn’t. Qin Yizhou can tell from his parents’ attitude that they’re on his older brother and sister-in-law’s side. Today, they signed a written agreement, with his aunt as a witness. From now on, his parents’ retirement will be handled by his older brother and sister-in-law, and the alimony Qin Yizhou has to pay will be included in the property that was divided between his older brother and sister-in-law.”
Song Fenglan overheard the Qin family talking about this today, and she discovered that the Qin family still had some savings.
“We will be allocated an apartment,” Song Fenglan said.
"Have you gone to see the house yet?" Song's mother asked.
"Not yet," Song Fenglan said. "No rush, we can go check later this afternoon."
"Don't have too high hopes," said Song's mother.
"Hmm?" Song Fenglan looked at her mother. "We can't have too much hope. We all know that's just how things are."
In the afternoon, when Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou went to the address given by the Qin family, they found a house in a small alley. It was indeed a detached, two-story building, but it was an ordinary residential house, not the small villa that the Song family had given Song Fenglan. The house did have a small yard, but it wasn't very big. The space was quite small; if you put a sink, plant some loofah, and put a small round table for two people, it would already be very cramped.
When Sister-in-law Qin first learned that her parents were going to buy a house for Qin Yizhou, she thought it was unfair to the eldest son's family because they would have to spend a lot of money. After learning the details of the house her parents were buying, she calmed down a bit; the house wasn't particularly nice. But in front of her brother Qin, she still said the house was good.
The room was small, and the stairs were a bit narrow, so Song Fenglan didn't take Qin Zihang upstairs to take a look. Qin Yizhou went upstairs to take a look instead.
Let alone compared to the house the Song family prepared, it's probably even worse than the house Brother Qin currently lives in. However, it's a detached house, and although it doesn't look very good now, things will change once it's demolished and redeveloped. Song Fenglan wasn't particularly dissatisfied with the house; she thought it was quite nice.
Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Qin felt that Qin Yizhou and his wife were going to Nancheng anyway, so there was no need to prepare such a nice house. Or perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Qin wanted to save money for their retirement and didn't want to use that money to buy a better house.
Qin Yizhou felt that his parents were biased, and their bias was too obvious.
"Renting it out is still possible." Song Fenglan didn't say anything harsh. They just needed to take a quick look at the house to get a feel for it. "I'll have my second brother and the others help rent it out."
Song Fenglan didn't intend to let the Qin family help her rent out the property. If she did, it was uncertain who would ultimately pocket the rent. Her second brother would definitely hand over the rent to Song Fenglan; he wouldn't pocket it. The Song family wasn't short of money.
“Okay.” Qin Yizhou didn’t say no. He even thought his wife’s idea was good; they really should get Song Erge and the others to help rent out the house.
Not to mention Song Fenglan, even Qin Yizhou himself didn't trust the Qin family.
"Don't we need to stay here?" Qin Zihang asked.
"No need, let someone else stay here." Song Fenglan patted Qin Zihang's head. "We have a place to stay."
"There's no TV here, but I want to watch TV," Qin Zihang said.
The child doesn't know anything else; he just knows that the things here are bad and he wants to go back to watch TV.
Song Fenglan didn't explain the Qin family's situation; it was already quite generous of them to provide them with a house. Song Fenglan disliked the Qin family and didn't bother to explain; besides, the Qin family could indeed have done better.
Qin Yizhou didn't explain to Qin Zihang. What was there to explain? Facts speak louder than words. Even if Qin Yizhou was fooling Qin Zihang now, Qin Zihang would realize when he grew a little older that the Qin family truly didn't value them.
When he was a child, Qin Yizhou didn't realize that his parents treated him and his older brother so differently, but now he feels it deeply.
Song Fenglan thought the detached houses here were quite nice, each with a small yard. If they were ever demolished, at least the compensation would be theirs. She wondered how the compensation would be calculated for multi-story apartment buildings. Song Fenglan preferred simplicity and disliked anything too complicated.
The two-story house plus the yard isn't small, and all of this area is listed on the property certificate, which is great. With all the paperwork complete, there shouldn't be any problems later.
"Let's go back first," Qin Yizhou said.
In the evening, after dinner, Song Fenglan asked her second brother to help her rent out the house.
"No problem, it's nothing," said Brother Song. "The house over there isn't particularly remote; someone is renting it."
"It's up to you now," Song Fenglan said with a smile.
"That's easy," said Brother Song. "Come over for New Year's Eve dinner tomorrow, don't forget."
“Let’s eat here.” Song Fenglan nodded.
For breakfast, Qin Yizhou cooked porridge, but since they didn't always get up early, they didn't come to the Song family's house for breakfast. Lunch and dinner, however, were eaten there. Qin Yizhou listened to Song Fenglan; wherever Song Fenglan suggested, they ate there.
The Qin family didn't ask Qin Yizhou to come back for the New Year's Eve dinner, probably because they had a written agreement. They harbored some resentment towards Qin Yizhou and the others.
The next day, on New Year's Eve.
Brother Qin came to find Qin Yizhou. He stood at the front door. He knew beforehand that the Song family had bought such a house for Song Fenglan. Not only was Sister-in-law Qin worried that her parents would also buy such a nice house, but Brother Qin was also a little worried. He didn't want his parents to empty their savings for a house. Fortunately, his parents hadn't bought such a house.
"It's alright, let him in," Song Fenglan said to Qin Yizhou. "I'll take Zihang upstairs to play."
Song Fenglan didn't intend to prevent Brother Qin from coming in. If Brother Qin wanted to come, so be it. She would let Brother Qin see how the Song family acted, and how the Qin family acted in return. Song Fenglan didn't necessarily want the Qin family to go bankrupt preparing these things for her; rather, the Qin family was too calculating.
Qin Yizhou understood Song Fenglan's meaning. Inviting them in wasn't about giving them face, but rather about letting Qin's brother take a good look at the house. The Song family didn't need anything from the Qin family; Song Fenglan had enough from what the Song family could provide.
Upon entering the living room, Brother Qin thought to himself that there were so many things here, even better than the house where his parents lived.
"We're going home for New Year's Eve dinner today; it's a rare opportunity for everyone to get together," said Brother Qin.
"No, I'm going to Fenglan's parents' house for New Year's Eve dinner. We already agreed on it yesterday," Qin Yizhou said. "We agreed on it yesterday evening."
Qin Yizhou and his family went to the Qin family home yesterday morning. The Qin family didn't mention the New Year's Eve dinner. Qin Yizhou didn't ask; he had already thought it through. They didn't need to have New Year's Eve dinner at the Qin family home; there was no need to make everyone unhappy. They wanted everyone to be happy.
"Why don't you go over to pay your respects on the second day of the Lunar New Year?" Brother Qin frowned. Usually, the New Year's Eve dinner is eaten at the groom's house.
"No need," Qin Yizhou said. "My sister-in-law is working so hard, my wife doesn't have time for this. I don't want people to say she's just sitting around waiting to be fed, and if she acts like a rich, bourgeois heiress."
"Where is your wife?" Brother Qin asked.
"Take the child with you," Qin Yizhou said. "Is there anything else?"
Qin Yizhou didn't talk much about the Song family, about how difficult their past was, or about the fact that his sister-in-law's family had produced spies. Some things, if said too much, lose their meaning; it's better to let people experience them for themselves.
"That's all. I'm going back now. I have things to take care of at home." Brother Qin didn't want to stay any longer; he felt like a clown.
Brother Qin noticed the color television that was still on, and many other furnishings in the living room. He thought to himself that the Song family was truly generous; at least their daughter-in-law wouldn't think Song Fenglan had taken too much.
Right?
Qin Yizhou saw his older brother Qin out, and then his older brother Qin saw the car next to him again.
"My parents-in-law said it would be more convenient to have a car," Qin Yizhou said.
Brother Qin opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing more. He turned and left, realizing that his family was indeed no match for the Song family.
Upstairs, Qin Zihang was clamoring to watch TV; he really wanted to watch TV.
"Has Uncle left? Can we go watch TV now?" Qin Zihang asked.
"Wait a minute," Song Fenglan said. "Those who can watch TV are not unable to watch it."
"Oh," Qin Zihang said, "Does Uncle want to take the TV with him?"
"Why do you say that?" Song Fenglan hadn't taught Qin Zihang to say that.
“His baby wants to see it,” Qin Zihang said. “Mom, I want to see it too. We can’t let them see it.”
“We didn’t give them to them, how could we give them to them?” Song Fenglan said. “This was prepared by your maternal grandparents for you, Hangbao, to see. It’s not for anyone else to see, so you don’t need to give it to anyone else.”
"When can we go watch TV?" Qin Zihang kept thinking about going downstairs.
"You can go down now." Qin Yizhou came upstairs. "My older brother has gone back."
"I want to watch TV, I want to watch TV!" Qin Zihang said happily.
As Qin Zihang was about to run downstairs, Song Fenglan quickly said, "Be careful."
Qin's parents and others were waiting for Qin's older brother to return. They still hoped that Qin Yizhou and his family of three could have a meal here, so that everyone could save face and avoid being laughed at by the neighbors.
“Yizhou is going to his parents-in-law’s house for New Year’s Eve dinner. They haven’t seen each other or had a family reunion for many years,” Brother Qin said. “When I heard Yizhou say that, I said it would be fine for them to go on the second day of the Lunar New Year, when they visit relatives and his parents-in-law. Yizhou disagreed, so I didn’t say anything more.”
"Is he coming later?" Qin's mother asked.
"I don't know about that." Brother Qin didn't ask about what happened next. He just felt embarrassed at the time and didn't want to ask so many questions. He just wanted to ask as few questions as possible and leave quickly. "They're back, and everyone has met. That's fine."
Brother Qin didn't really want to see Qin Yizhou again; he felt that Qin Yizhou was showing off to him.
"Did you go into their house?" Qin's mother asked. "What was it like inside?"
The Qin family already knew that the Song family had prepared such a house for Song Fenglan, but they didn't know what it was like inside. The Qin family didn't want to ask the Song family too much; they didn't have the money to buy such a nice house, and if someone asked them if they wanted to buy anything for renovations, that would cost money again.
It would be better for each of them to decorate their own house. Qin's mother felt that her own house was done well, and the other house was also cleaned very well, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
"There was a color television." Brother Qin was particularly impressed by this. "There was also a car parked in the yard."
"..." Qin's mother remained silent for a long while. "Aren't they afraid of being talked about?"
Isn't this too ostentatious? Aren't they afraid of what people will say about the Song family?
Qin's mother thought that her family was too different from the Song family; the Song family loved to spend money too much.
When Jiang Yufei learned that Song Fenglan had returned, she didn't approach her immediately. Jiang Yufei knew perfectly well that Song Fenglan had a bad temper, and she couldn't go to her alone. She knew that Song Fenglan would definitely seek revenge for how she had treated her before.
If you're going to appear, it has to be when everyone is there; that's the only way.
Previously, Jiang Yufei had thought that since Song Fenglan hadn't returned, and the Song family seemed to dote on their daughter and sister, perhaps they would treat her better. Jiang Yufei was wrong; the Song family couldn't possibly be that kind of nice to her. They weren't stupid.
Given what Jiang Yufei did to Song Fenglan, the Song family will only distance themselves from her.
Because Li Hui didn't want to go back to Guo Peng's hometown for the Spring Festival, Guo Peng went back alone. Going back alone without his wife naturally drew criticism from his parents. Guo Peng didn't eat the New Year's Eve dinner; he had lunch first and then went back, thinking he needed to get back to Li Hui as soon as possible. Mainly, Guo Peng didn't want to stay home and be nagged by his parents and the villagers; going back early would give him some peace and quiet.
Gao Xiuxiu went back to her hometown with her husband. She walked around outside several times with her big belly to let the villagers know that she was pregnant.
Everyone says I'm carrying a boy.
"Then congratulations."
"You're amazing, you got pregnant so quickly."
"We'll have both a son and a daughter, that's wonderful."
...
The villagers naturally congratulated Gao Xiuxiu, and outwardly didn't say anything bad about her. Privately, however, they all said it was still uncertain whether the baby in Gao Xiuxiu's belly was a boy or a girl, yet Gao Xiuxiu was so smug. Even in this cold weather, Gao Xiuxiu liked to walk around the village, just so others could see her belly.
What's so interesting about it? Gao Xiuxiu really doesn't know how to protect her belly at all, and doesn't know she needs to rest more.
These are personal matters and do not affect Song Fenglan.
Cao Fang went to the Song family home with Song Fenglan and others to celebrate the New Year, and they all ate New Year's Eve dinner together. The Song family also cooked hot pot and prepared a lot of dishes. Song's mother, sister-in-law, and Aunt Tao cooked together, while Song's older brother and others were responsible for buying groceries. Song Fenglan's family didn't have to do any of that; they just went over to eat. However, Qin Yizhou still went to help out, although Song Fenglan didn't do those things.
Sister-in-law Song didn't ask Song Fenglan for help. With so many people doing the work, there was no need for Song Fenglan to come and do it.
Around 4 or 5 p.m., the dishes were served one after another, and the Song family urged Qin Yizhou and the others to sit down and eat. Qin Zihang was still chatting with his cousins, who even gave him red envelopes.
"Here you go," Song Heng said. He was Song's eldest son. Today was New Year's Eve, so he was 8 years old. After New Year's Eve, he would be 9 years old.
Song Heng and his sister handed red envelopes to Qin Zihang, who was stunned for a moment.
"You're all children too. This is from your grandparents, not mine." Qin Zihang understood that adults give children red envelopes, but children don't need to give red envelopes to other children.
"Here you go." Song Heng's sister stuffed the red envelope directly into Qin Zihang's arms.
"It's not mine, it's my sister's," Qin Zihang said.
“Your older brother and sister gave this to you, so take it.” Seeing this, Sister-in-law Song smiled. “They’re just giving you one, not all of their red envelopes.”
"We can't have any of them," Qin Zihang said. "My older brother and sister are still young."
Song Heng and his sister heard their mother speak well of Song Fenglan, and Song's sister-in-law encouraged them to play with Qin Zihang more. The two children, having just received red envelopes, wanted to give some to Qin Zihang. Qin Zihang also had a red envelope; Song's parents had prepared another one for him—a greeting red envelope, not a New Year's red envelope.
The little kids were still politely deferring to each other, but then Brother Song took out three red envelopes, one for each of them. Brother Song had prepared the red envelopes well in advance, waiting to give them to the children after the New Year's Eve dinner.
“Take them all, there’s no need for you to refuse,” said Brother Song.
Brother Song walked over, took the red envelope that Qin Zihang had given to his cousins, and checked that it was indeed full of money, not empty, before giving it to Qin Zihang.
"This is from your older brother and sister. It's their first time celebrating the New Year with you, and they really like you," Brother Song said. "Just take it; don't be polite with them. Next time you come, they won't give you a red envelope."
“I can give it to you!” Song Zi quickly said, “Hello, little brother, give it to little brother.”
Song Zi thought she had a younger brother; this was her younger brother.
“I’ll give one too.” Song Heng nodded. If his sister gave one, he would give one too. If his sister didn’t give one, he would give one as well.
"Alright, let Hangbao hold it, you all come and eat," said Sister-in-law Song.
Qin Zihang looked at his mother, Song Fenglan, who nodded. Qin Zihang then put away...
Red envelope.
"Here you go." Qin Zihang took out his other red envelopes, intending to give them to his cousins.
"No need for you to give it to him, wait for your parents to give it to him." Sister-in-law Song chuckled. "Fenglan, we're all family, tell Hangbao not to be polite with us. How much is a child's New Year's money worth anyway?"
Although it might be equivalent to several months' salary for an average person, Sister-in-law Song felt it wasn't much for the Song family. She was happy that her in-laws gave Song Fenglan these things; Song Fenglan was a good younger sister.
"Let's eat, everyone eat," Song Fenglan said.
“Little Hangbao, this is your maternal grandparents’ house, and your uncle’s house,” said Sister-in-law Song. “It’s not someone else’s house.”
Sister-in-law Song knew that the Qin family members weren't very good people, but she didn't directly criticize them. That was out of consideration for Qin Yizhou and Dr. Lin.
Qin Yizhou didn't think too much about it; the Qin family's side of the family had indeed treated Song Fenglan and her son badly.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, Qin Yizhou and the others stayed at the Song family's house for a while, watching fireworks and eating some pastries together.
Qin Zihang was especially happy; he felt that this year's Spring Festival was the happiest time of his life. His maternal grandparents, uncles, and aunts were all very kind to him, as were his cousins.
"Mom, will we still celebrate the New Year with Grandma and the others in the future?" Qin Zihang walked upstairs, with his mother on his left and his father on his right, still thinking about his grandmother and the others.
"We'll see how things go next year," Song Fenglan said.
"Grandma is doing well, and so are my uncle and aunt," Qin Zihang said.
"If I come back, I can spend the New Year with them," Qin Yizhou said.
Song Fenglan looked at Qin Yizhou. Qin Yizhou had no intention of them having to spend the New Year at the Qin family's house next year; there was no such thing.
At night, Qin Zihang went to sleep, while Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou stayed in the room.
While Song Fenglan was soaking her feet, she glanced at Qin Yizhou a couple of times.
"I'm very happy today," Qin Yizhou said. "It's great to spend the New Year with my parents, and Zihang is happy too."
Qin Yizhou didn't feel there was anything wrong with not spending the New Year with the Qin family. "I'm all grown up now, I don't need to be with my biological parents. I'm very happy to have you and Hangbao here."
“Men all prefer to spend the New Year at the man’s home,” Song Fenglan said.
"Home is where you and Hangbao are," Qin Yizhou replied.
Qin Yizhou thought about how his older brother's child treated Qin Zihang, and then about how Song's older brother's child treated Qin Zihang. He genuinely felt that the Song family treated Qin Zihang very well. Without comparison, there is no harm. He couldn't pretend to be stupid and couldn't think that the Qin family treated Qin Zihang very well.
Children don't understand those things, they can't pretend, they will only show their most authentic selves.
The Song family was very happy, but the Qin family was not.
Brother Qin and his wife took their child home, and Sister-in-law Qin almost couldn't help but say something in front of the child.
Once inside the room, Sister-in-law Qin couldn't help but ask, "Judging from your parents' words, do they still want me to go and apologize to your sister-in-law?"
"..." Brother Qin remained silent.
"They came back just to visit Mom and Dad, and it was to get a written agreement," said Sister-in-law Qin. "Are they really doing this for Mom and Dad? I think they just want the family property. They want that house, and they're afraid we'll have to rely on them to support Mom and Dad in their old age."
"You..." Brother Qin opened his mouth, but then didn't want to speak.
“It’s because my family has a spy. I’m of low status, so I have to go apologize to her,” said Sister-in-law Qin. “But who goes to apologize to someone during the five-day New Year holiday? They don’t even pay back the money during those five days, just because they’re afraid of bad luck. Your brother and his family are leaving again in a few days, before the sixth day of the New Year, right? What, do you want me to go apologize on the second day of the New Year? I still have to go to my family’s house on the second day of the New Year.”
Sister-in-law Qin couldn't possibly not go back to her parents' home; she had already been looked down upon by them, and at this point, she had even less reason not to go.
An apology? What a load of rubbish! Sister-in-law Qin thought about all she'd been through lately, her status had plummeted so drastically, she couldn't possibly apologize. If she wanted an apology, she'd have to wait until after the five-day New Year holiday.
Actually, Sister-in-law Qin could have apologized to Song Fenglan yesterday, but she chose to hide in the kitchen and refused to come out. This is enough to show Sister-in-law Qin's attitude; she was unwilling to apologize to Song Fenglan, which is why she was hiding.
“You have to come with me on the second day of the Lunar New Year,” said Sister-in-law Qin. “My dad lost his job, and if we don’t go, he’ll think we have a problem with him. My family is going through a tough time right now, and if you don’t go, people will think you have a problem with my family.”
"No objection, really no objection." Brother Qin was annoyed; he had to keep talking about opinions.
Brother Qin did meet with Sister-in-law Qin's family, but there were some things he really couldn't interfere with.
When Song Fenglan was in the first year of junior high school, the Song family didn't say she couldn't come over; they even invited her whole family to come over for a meal. However, Song Fenglan received a last-minute phone call. An aircraft research institute in the capital had some questions and needed her to come and help out, so Song Fenglan had no choice but to go.
Qin Yizhou had originally planned to take his wife and son out for fun, but since his wife had to go to work, he could only take his son. Cao Fang went with Song Fenglan, so Qin Yizhou and Qin Zihang didn't have to stare at each other. Qin Zihang said he was fine as long as he had TV to watch.
Song Fenglan went to work, so Qin Yizhou took Qin Zihang to the Song family home for dinner. They couldn't very well not go just because Song Fenglan wasn't there. Song's parents also wanted to see Qin Zihang more often; there was no rule that a married daughter couldn't return to her parents' home on the first day of the Lunar New Year—the Song family didn't follow that custom.
While Qin Zihang was playing with his siblings Song Heng, Song Heng's second brother also said some things to Qin Yizhou.
“We are very grateful for your help, and we also thank your uncle for his help. However, we still hope that you can treat Fenglan better,” said Song Erge.
“Of course, Fenglan is my wife,” Qin Yizhou said. “I will definitely treat her well.”
“The conflict between Fenglan and your parents and your brother and sister-in-law is probably irreconcilable,” said Brother Song. “We don’t expect you to take Fenglan’s side. As long as you don’t force Fenglan to do things she doesn’t want to do, that’s fine.”
“I won’t force her,” Qin Yizhou said. “Fenglan is doing well.”
Qin Yizhou sometimes felt that he was not good enough for Song Fenglan. He wanted to live a good life with Song Fenglan and absolutely could not allow those problems to occur.
Qin Zihang missed his mother, but his father said that his mother had gone to work. Qin Zihang had doubts in his heart, but he could only wait.
Qin Zihang played with his older cousins, and they always let him have his way.
Sister-in-law Song's two children are quite sensible. They grew up on a farm in the countryside, so how could they not be sensible? Sister-in-law Song and her husband have also taught them some things. They may be a little unaccustomed to living in the city at first, but they will get used to it gradually.
If there's anything Sister-in-law Song is afraid of, it's that she'll be blinded by the Song family's wealth, and that her two children will be corrupted. It's not easy to raise children well, but it's incredibly easy to spoil them.
Seeing Qin Zihang's well-behaved demeanor, Sister-in-law Song felt he was destined for great things. Indeed, Qin Zihang's father was now a regimental commander; whether Qin Zihang continued in the military or retired, it didn't matter. Song Fenglan was a researcher with a stable job. With such an accomplished couple, their only child couldn't possibly be doing poorly.
When Song Fenglan came to the capital, some people at the research institute and some high-level leaders knew about it. The Capital Aircraft Research Institute was facing problems, and they had previously wondered how the South City Research Institute had resolved those issues so quickly and efficiently. Naturally, the Capital Institute also needed help to address the immediate issues, and Song Fenglan's arrival was a perfect opportunity to assist.
When the people at the Capital Research Institute learned that Song Fenglan was originally from the capital, they felt even more sorry for her. The director felt that Song Fenglan should have stayed in the capital, and other researchers who had contact with her shared this view. If Song Fenglan had stayed in the capital, their institute would definitely have achieved more research results than the South City Research Institute, instead of falling behind.
However, such things are hard to say. Given Song Fenglan's previous background, even if she dares to come, the police station may not dare to accept her.
The situation wasn't good for a while, so it was definitely a good choice for Song Fenglan to go to Nancheng.
Song Fenglan was not brought over until nearly 10 p.m. She had to go there again the next morning.
"Do we still have to go?" Qin Yizhou brought Song Fenglan some water to wash her feet, and then Song Fenglan said that she had to go out early tomorrow morning.
“Yes.” Song Fenglan nodded. “We’re only here for a short time, so we need to solve as many problems as possible.”
Song Fenglan couldn't stay in the capital forever; she still had to go back to Nancheng, where there were many things to do.
There's a lot to do.
"Song Fenglan said, 'If you're going to your parents' house, don't take Zihang with you.'"
Song Fenglan didn't forget to remind Qin Yizhou of this: men are generally more careless, and Qin Yizhou might not be able to keep an eye on the child every second. The best solution was to have Qin Yizhou not bring Qin Zihang along.
"I won't go," Qin Yizhou said. "Going there might not be any better; it will only cause more trouble."
“You said it yourself, I didn’t stop you from going,” Song Fenglan said. “I just told Zihang not to go.”
“If Zihang isn’t going, neither am I.” After saying that, Qin Yizhou realized his words were ambiguous. “What I meant was that neither of us should go. We’ve been there once before, that’s enough. If anything happens over there, they can let us know. They know where we live.”
The Song family hadn't expected Song Fenglan to be so busy. They had originally planned to chat with her more and spend more time with her, but they never imagined that she would be busy from the first day of the Lunar New Year.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Yufei returned to her parents' home.
"Mom, are you going to Auntie's house?" Jiang Yufei asked.
"No need. Your maternal grandfather and his family are long gone. Even if they were, they wouldn't be at your aunt's house," Aunt Yu said. "You want to go there?"
"I..." Jiang Yufei paused for a moment, "Mom, how much money do you think Auntie and the others give the kids in their New Year's red envelopes?"
Jiang Yufei was still thinking that the red envelopes from the Song family must be quite large. She remembered when she was very young, the red envelopes from the Song family contained a lot of money, and her mother would always take the envelopes away, saying she would save them for her. Jiang Yufei was very happy to receive the red envelopes from the Song family, which meant she could buy more snacks.
"Why do you care how much money they give in the red envelopes?" Aunt Yu said. "If you're only going there for the red envelopes, you'd better not go."
Aunt Yu thought Jiang Yufei was shameless, only thinking about the red envelopes from the Song family.
“If I’m going there, I won’t go empty-handed,” Jiang Yufei said.
"How much stuff can you take with you?" It wasn't that Aunt Yu was laughing at her daughter, but that her daughter really didn't have that much money.
Jiang Yufei was still a bit of a coward. When Qin Yizhou and his wife were about to leave the capital and return to Nancheng, Jiang Yufei didn't go to the Song family. Jiang Yufei was afraid of running into Song Fenglan and having a big argument with her, in which case she definitely wouldn't gain the upper hand.
Aunt Qin did want to invite Qin Yizhou and his wife to dinner, and she even went out of her way to find them.
However, Song Fenglan didn't go home to take care of things, and Qin Yizhou said he needed to look after the children more, so he wouldn't go over.
Aunt Qin didn't say that Qin Yizhou, a grown man, only knew how to look after children. Instead, she said, "It's very good that you two take turns looking after the child."
During the New Year, Sister-in-law Qin was as quiet as a quail, only saying a few words in front of Brother Qin. In front of others, she was as still as a chicken, and if she said anything more than a few words, she would have to think twice about whether she had said something wrong or if there was a problem.
When her family ran into trouble, Sister-in-law Qin's momentum suddenly weakened. She didn't dare to make a scene, and though she felt aggrieved, she could only endure it.
When the neighbors saw Sister-in-law Qin, they asked, "Did you apologize to your sister-in-law?"
"If you do something wrong, you still have to apologize properly."
"How can anyone forgive you if you don't apologize?"
"You'd better keep your distance from your family."
...
Before the Qin family could say much, the neighbors started talking. They all believed that Qin's sister-in-law's family had produced a spy, and since she was married out of the family, she should keep her distance from those people. They said if she did, people might start suspecting her.
Sister-in-law Qin was annoyed, but she couldn't directly refute Song Fenglan. In the past, she would have definitely said no directly, but now she could only force a smile and couldn't even say anything bad about Song Fenglan. Sister-in-law Qin thought of the female soldier who followed Song Fenglan, and she was afraid someone would come knocking on her door.
Even though the sky wasn't overcast, Sister-in-law Qin felt incredibly depressed, so depressed that she couldn't say much. She told her husband, but he didn't understand her either, only saying that she knew the situation herself, and that she should indeed be careful not to offend anyone outside.
Back then, the Qin family even told Song Fenglan not to interfere with the Song family, saying that if Song Fenglan married Qin Yizhou, she would be better off severing ties with the Song family.
And now, these words are being spoken to Sister-in-law Qin.
Sister-in-law Qin was seething with anger, but she could only endure it and couldn't say a word. She remembered how people had always spoken sweet words to her; those words still echoed in her ears.
"If you don't ask your husband to persuade your brother-in-law more, how can you let him marry someone like that?"
"Once she's married into your family, it's best to limit her contact with her family."
“She always sends things to the farm; who knows, she might cause trouble for you one day.”
...
When Sister-in-law Qin heard these words, she laughed, thinking that she was the most capable daughter-in-law in the Qin family.
Only a few years have passed, and things have changed.
Sister-in-law Qin walked quickly; she didn't want to hear another word from these people.
"Why are you walking so fast?" the neighbors would say.
Endure, endure, endure. Sister-in-law Qin wasn't Shi Guilan; she had witnessed Aunt Qin's opportunism countless times, and Sister-in-law Qin had no choice but to bear it. Her family's affairs would be a stain she could never wash away for the rest of her life.
Many people hoped that Sister-in-law Qin would make a scene and escalate the situation as much as possible; everyone loved watching the excitement.
But Sister-in-law Qin dared not do that; she needed to keep quiet for now.
Song Fenglan's family originally planned to leave around the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, but later changed it to the sixth. The research institute in the capital asked Song Fenglan to stay for two more days, so she had no choice but to stay and finish her work before leaving. They could call her if they needed anything afterward.
Song's mother wanted to prepare more things for Song Fenglan, but it was difficult to carry them on the long train journey. So, Song's mother made some pastries for Song Fenglan and the others to take with them on the road, and the whole family even saw Song Fenglan and the others off at the train station.
"Keep in touch." Song's mother gently patted Song Fenglan's hand. "Tell me if anything happens."
Song Fenglan and her family boarded the train; they were going back to Nancheng.
At this moment, Jiang Yufei and Sister-in-law Qin started fighting, and the two were taken to the police station.
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