Chapter 105 Are you scared? As if afraid others won't know.
As domestic fighter jets have become more powerful, foreign spies operating within the country have become aware of this and are now seeking advanced core data. They bribe domestic researchers, even offering to send them abroad.
Believe it or not, there really are researchers who betray their country just to go abroad. They treat the research materials as their own and don't care about the country at all.
If the relevant departments hadn't reacted quickly, even non-core information wouldn't have been allowed to be taken away by those people.
A couple of years ago, some researchers took advantage of opportunities to go abroad for exchanges and stayed overseas, refusing to return. The national leadership was furious, but since they were abroad, they couldn't do anything about it.
Some people don't care about their relatives back home at all; they only care about their own comfort.
Song Fenglan had no intention of going abroad. She had already been abroad in her previous life, and she didn't feel the same way about going in this one. Song Fenglan didn't want to follow in her uncle Song Xingyun's footsteps, so she preferred to stay in China, where it was much safer than abroad.
After the meeting, Song Fenglan returned to her office. The director was holding a meeting in the large conference room, which Ding Wenbo and others also attended.
Ding Wenbo hadn't expected to encounter a spy. He had met and greeted the spy, but fortunately, he was tight-lipped and didn't reveal any secrets just because they were all in the same research institute. Before becoming Song Fenglan's graduate student, Ding Wenbo had signed a confidentiality agreement, which stipulated that they could not disclose anything even if asked by people from other departments.
So Ding Wenbo always followed the rules, resolutely refusing to say anything he shouldn't. When people from other departments asked him, he would say he didn't know, that he was still a student, and how could a student know so much? He was just learning along the way.
After others learned that Ding Wenbo wouldn't talk about those things, they didn't ask him any more questions.
Song Fenglan had a large box of apples in her office. She didn't need to eat that many, so she asked Ding Wenbo to take some back with her.
When Ding Wenbo returned, he was carrying more than half a box of apples. Duan Yue saw Ding Wenbo carrying a large box and wondered what had happened. Fortunately, Duan Yue had a sensitive nose; with so many apples together, they smelled wonderful.
"Did your mentor give it to you?" Duan Yue asked.
“It wasn’t just for me; some were for my junior brothers and sisters as well,” Ding Wenbo said. “My junior sister doesn’t live in our building, so she took it herself. My junior brother lives in our building, so he asked me to help him get it back first.”
"Your junior brother didn't help you take it, but instead made you take it back?" Duan Yue asked. You know, Duan Yue's senior brothers and sisters liked to make him do things, saying it was for his own good.
Duan Yue didn't believe that all his senior brothers and sisters were doing it for his own good. They just wanted to do less, so they made Duan Yue do it. Duan Yue had no choice; his senior brothers and sisters had been with their mentor for a long time, and Duan Yue didn't want to be treated unfairly, so he did it.
Today, Duan Yue once again felt envious of Ding Wenbo.
"It's just a small matter, nothing serious," Ding Wenbo said. "We're fellow disciples, helping each other out. It's just carrying something."
It's not like I'm giving up my authorship of the paper!
Ding Wenbo didn't say that, but Duan Yue understood. Ding Wenbo continued to follow Song Fenglan as her doctoral student, while Duan Yue remained with his own advisor.
It's best not to change advisors casually within the same school, especially since there's still a lot of material they haven't mastered. Duan Yue was worried that changing advisors would upset his current one, and he might accidentally end up with his advisor's arch-enemy, which would be a huge loss.
Originally, Duan Yue wasn't really planning to pursue a doctorate; he just saw Ding Wenbo was doing it, and he wanted to too. Duan Yue was originally supposed to have the same advisor as Ding Wenbo, but he couldn't help but want to compete with him, not wanting to appear too much of a failure.
"This apple tastes good." Duan Yue picked up an apple.
“It’s very good,” Ding Wenbo said. “Big and sweet.”
When Song Fenglan returned home, Zhang Xiaohu and the others had already eaten dinner and were watching TV. Song Fenglan came home a little late, but there was nothing she could do about it; she had a lot to do.
Because of the espionage case, the institute took it very seriously, and some staff members were even questioned.
Of course, Song
Fenglan wasn't questioned. The institute told Song Fenglan to be careful, fearing an accident might happen to her. Song Fenglan thought she was still young, and if an accident were to happen to her, those older professors who had studied abroad were more likely to have accidents.
"Mom." Qin Zihang said as soon as he saw his mother return, "Mom, Brother Xiaohu is here."
“Auntie.” Zhang Xiaohu quickly stood up.
Zhang Xiaohu was a little reserved. He hadn't expected Qin Zihang's house to be so nice, so much better than their house in the south of the city.
"Sit down, sit down. Did you call your mother?" Song Fenglan asked.
"Not yet," Zhang Xiaohu said.
"Then call quickly," Song Fenglan said. "Tell your mother you've arrived safely. Don't let her worry, okay?"
After saying this, Song Fenglan looked at Qin Yizhou and said, "The child may not understand, but don't you? Didn't you let the child call home first?"
"I was tidying up other things and then feeding them, so I forgot for a moment," Qin Yizhou said.
"Call her quickly, don't let Fatty Sister-in-law worry," Song Fenglan said. "You two can relax for a few hours, but the mother is on her mind for several hours."
Qin Zihang gave Zhang Xiaohu's phone to Fatty's wife; the home phone was right next to the sofa. Fatty's wife went to a public phone booth to answer the call. When she heard Zhang Xiaohu's voice, she felt much more at ease. Although the voice on the receiver sounded a little different, Fatty's wife could tell it was her son.
"Mom, I've arrived at Uncle and Aunt's place and already eaten. I just took a shower and unpacked," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Aunt's house is very, very big, even bigger than ours. It's very nice here, very nice indeed."
“Listen to your uncle and aunt,” said the plump woman. “Don’t be a naughty child.”
After Zhang Xiaohu spoke a few words to Fatty Sister-in-law, it was Song Fenglan's turn to talk to Fatty Sister-in-law.
"Don't worry, Sister-in-law, let Xiaohu stay here peacefully," Song Fenglan said. "If you miss him for a while, you can call him. He can answer the phone if he's home, and if he's not, he can call you when he gets back."
"How much phone bill will this waste?" the fat woman said.
“It’s nothing. A mother worries about her son even when he’s far away,” Song Fenglan said. “I was also worried about Zihang when I was away on business, let alone Xiaohu coming out alone. None of you came with him or kept an eye on him, so of course you’d worry. If you miss him, just call him. It’s our home phone. But you’ll have to pay for the call, which will be a bit more expensive.”
"I'm not afraid of expensive phone bills," said the plump woman. As long as she was spending her own money, not Song Fenglan and her husband's, there was no problem.
After hanging up the phone, Song Fenglan looked at Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang.
"Tomorrow, you can go out and have some fun first," Song Fenglan said. "Play for two days first, then study. After that, study for a few days, then play a bit."
Summer vacation is still quite long, and Song Fenglan thought that Zhang Xiaohu didn't need to go out to play every day.
“We will keep an eye on each other and study together,” Qin Zihang said.
“Have your dad take you out to play tomorrow,” Song Fenglan said. “You have to stay close and don’t wander off. Xiao Hu, you’ve just arrived, so if you get lost, find a policeman and tell him where you live. They’ll bring you here.”
Song Fenglan wasn't worried about her son getting lost; Qin Zihang knew how to get back and knew how to find the police. If Qin Zihang went to a place far from home, Song Fenglan would have someone accompany him to prevent him from getting into trouble.
"Understood." Zhang Xiaohu nodded.
Because Zhang Xiaohu had been on the train for a long time, he went to sleep around 8 p.m.
Zhang Xiaohu didn't sleep in the same room as Qin Zihang; he slept in a separate room. Qin Zihang had originally wanted to chat with Zhang Xiaohu on the bed, but he knew Zhang Xiaohu was tired, so he didn't go over.
Zhang Xiaohu covered himself with the small blanket, and he found it to be very comfortable. It wasn't too hot, and had a slightly cool feel to it. Zhang Xiaohu couldn't help but grab the blanket a couple of times; this little blanket was amazing.
After learning that Zhang Xiaohu had arrived in the capital, Fatty Sister felt much relieved and at ease. Before Zhang Xiaohu arrived at his destination, Fatty Sister had been waiting for his call, thinking that he should have arrived by now. Since he hadn't called, it meant that the train was delayed.
"Have we arrived yet?" Zhang Chenghai asked when he saw his wife, Pang, return.
"We've arrived. Xiao Hu has arrived at Zi Hang's house," said the plump woman. "He said on the phone that Zi Hang's house is very big and has a lot of good things there. Well, Feng Lan's family is quite well-off, and some of them are in business, so of course the house is nice. But I've never seen her house in the capital, so I don't know what makes it so nice."
“There are also detached houses in the south of the city,” Zhang Chenghai said. “Qin Tuan and his group’s homes should be even better.”
“Of course it would be better. They deserve such a nice house,” said the plump woman. “Yani said that knowledge is priceless. Fenglan is able to live well because she has a good brain and knows a lot. I hope Xiaohu can also make a living with his brain in the future, and not like us. As for you, you are still in the army, but it is difficult to get promoted. Your education level is not high enough, and you are limited in many ways.”
"Let Xiaohu study more, and make him the most capable person in our family," Zhang Chenghai said. "Wouldn't that solve everything?"
“I still envy Fenglan. Zihang is much smarter and more clever,” said the plump woman. “Our Xiaohu is just lucky to have Zihang. Fenglan also said that if we miss the child, we can call anytime. It’s their own phone, so we don’t have to worry about her having to pay extra for phone calls. As long as I’m willing to pay my phone bill, I can call.”
"Then go ahead and hit me," Zhang Chenghai said.
"Fenglan's family is nice. I hope Xiaohu can broaden his horizons and study hard after he comes back," said the plump woman. "If he works even harder, I'm worried that he might not pass the high school entrance exam. It's a bit risky."
“If he doesn’t pass the exam, that’s his fate,” Zhang Chenghai said. “Look at me, it’s not like I can’t do other things, I can still do them, I…”
“Isn’t your work hard? Studying is always better than not studying,” said the plump woman. “What era are we living in now? Why are you still thinking about things from the past? There weren’t so many educated people back then, but now there are plenty of educated people.”
"You understand, you understand." Zhang Chenghai thought to himself that he could only let Fatty Sister handle it herself.
Zhang Chenghai didn't want his son to be more successful; given his own abilities, he could only encourage his son to run more and exercise more.
A new day begins for Qin Yi
The Zhou father and son took Zhang Xiaohu to the Forbidden City, a place Zhang Xiaohu had never been to before. Zhang Xiaohu exclaimed in amazement, the capital city was so different from the southern part of the city.
"Wow," Zhang Xiaohu exclaimed, "That's amazing!"
Zhang Xiaohu sighed many times. He walked with Qin Zihang, not daring to go off on his own. Zhang Xiaohu remembered his mother's words: don't get lost, and don't let anyone look for him.
“You guys are really lucky to live here and see all these things,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “There aren’t this many houses like this in the South City.”
"So this is the capital," Qin Zihang said. "I brought you here so you could see it for yourself. You haven't seen it, so how can you imagine it? Once you're in the capital, you'll know a lot more. You can come back here when you go to university. As for me, I'm already here, my household registration is here, and I'll take the college entrance exam in the capital. Mom said that as long as I work hard, I can get into a good university. You should work hard too, and we'll meet in the capital then."
"I must get into a school in the capital," Zhang Xiaohu said. He had never seen the sights of the capital before, but now that he had, he was determined to come back to the capital again.
Qin Yizhou listened to the two still talking over there, and he rarely interrupted.
At noon, Qin Yizhou took Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang to a restaurant for lunch.
"This is delicious, this is delicious too, you should try some." Qin Zihang called to Zhang Xiaohu, "If it's enough, just tell my dad to order more, and he'll pay."
"Okay." Zhang Xiaohu nodded.
Qin Yizhou ordered a lot of food, so there was no way Zhang Xiaohu wouldn't have enough to eat. Zhang Xiaohu was essentially living under someone else's roof, and people who live under someone else's roof usually don't complain about not having enough to eat; if there isn't enough, they'll pretend there is.
"Eat more," Qin Zihang said.
"You two should eat more," Qin Yizhou said. "It's a bit hot at noon, so let's go check out the indoor museum."
"Okay." Qin Zihang nodded, then turned to Zhang Xiaohu, "There are so many things in the museum, all kinds of ancient things. Have you ever been to a museum?"
“I’ve never been there,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “Our teacher took us to the martyrs’ cemetery. My dad said we shouldn’t bully the children of martyrs. Anyone who bullies a martyr’s child gets beaten up and screams.”
In the family compound, there are children of martyrs, children without fathers, and children only cared for by their mothers. These children are easily bullied. Fortunately, the parents of the other children will tell their children not to bully them, but some children just don't listen and will still bully others.
Of course, there are also cases where the children of martyrs are at fault, but most people will teach their children not to bully others, and if the children explain, they will also educate them.
When Qin Zihang was in Nancheng, he didn't offend the children of martyrs. Sometimes he would even share his family's pastries with them. In this respect, Qin Zihang was well-educated.
"We just can't bully them," Qin Zihang said. "If you're unhappy, just keep your distance. If you can't afford to mess with them, you can at least avoid them."
"Let's eat." Qin Yizhou didn't let them continue talking about this topic.
Qin Yizhou and the others returned home in the evening. He did not take Qin Yizhou and Zhang Xiaohu out to play that night, but instead told them to go home for dinner.
Zhang Xiaohu didn't see Song Fenglan and asked, "Should we wait for Auntie to eat?"
"No need," Qin Yizhou said. "She's busy and hasn't come home for dinner. There's food at home now that she's back, so don't worry."
“Yes, my mom comes back a little later. It’s farther from here to my school and my mom’s workplace than when we were in the south, where it was right next door,” Qin Zihang said. “The capital is very, very big.”
"Mm." Zhang Xiaohu nodded vigorously.
In a couple of days, Tang Lu will be returning to Nancheng. Her father and brother say they won't force her to marry, but they still bring people to her home to introduce her to the men. When Tang Lu sees the men, she understands her father and brother's intentions; they want her to compromise, but she's not going to compromise.
Before the man left, Tang Lu said a few words.
"I'm a soldier. If you marry me, it will be a military marriage. Can you accompany me to my military post?"
“I’m in the south, not in the capital. If you come over, you’ll have to do housework and take care of everything at home.”
"I have no interest in talking to you about love and romance. We're in a military marriage, and you can't betray me. If you betray me and get together with another woman, she's committing a crime, and so are you."
“Even if I’m not home often, you still have to take care of things.”
...
Tang Lu said a lot, and even Tang's mother felt a headache after listening to her.
Mr. Tang and Mr. Tang Shaotao weren't there, so they asked Mrs. Tang to keep an eye on things, but who would have thought things would turn out this way? Mrs. Tang thought to herself, what kind of woman would say such things on a blind date? Tang Lu clearly didn't want to be with this man.
The man's face was gloomy; he was in a very bad mood. The Tang family said that Tang Lu was coming back because she was at least a college student and a pilot, and the man thought Tang Lu had good genes. He believed that if Tang Lu could bear him children, his children would definitely be smarter.
The man treated the woman as a breeding tool and did not treat Tang Lu as an equal at all. He had just said some unpleasant things.
"It's better for women not to be too career-oriented."
"In the end, women are meant to be good wives and mothers."
"A woman can't stay single forever, and work isn't that important."
"The capital is so much better than the south city. If you come back, it would be best if you have a job, but it doesn't matter if you don't. You can stay at home and take care of the children."
...
The man's implication was that Tang Lu had already been a pilot, so she could come back and stop thinking about her so-called dreams.
What dreams? Women shouldn't have dreams; only men should have dreams.
As long as a woman stays at home and helps her husband with housework, without worrying about anything else, he will always make sure she has food to eat.
The man's words were blatantly crossing Tang Lu's bottom line; there was no way Tang Lu could like a man like that. He was utterly disgusting, and Tang Lu felt he should just get out of her sight.
If the other party doesn't give Tang Lu face, Tang Lu won't give them face either.
Tang Lu understood that it was mostly because Tang's father and Tang Shaotao valued the man's family background; the man's good family background was what made him so arrogant.
The man left in a huff. He ran into Tang Shaotao at the door and was still cursing, "Your sister is just going to live a lonely life. She shouldn't have gotten married."
Upon hearing this, Tang Shaotao was alarmed and immediately went to find Tang Lu.
"What did you do?" Tang Shaotao asked.
"What did I do? I'm asking you what you did!" Tang Lu said. "I've already said I don't want to go on blind dates, and you still have to resort to these little tricks, but you still let people come to my house. You just want me to go on blind dates and get married. Let me tell you, give up. I shouldn't have moved in, and I shouldn't have tried to save a little money on accommodation."
"you……"
"I'm moving out right now, you don't need to tell me to get out." Tang Lu understood what these people meant; if she continued to live here, they would keep nagging her.
Tang Lu thought she had made herself clear to them beforehand that these people shouldn't cause any more trouble, but who would have thought they would insist on making things difficult for her? Since that's the case, Tang Lu wasn't going to give them any more face.
These people are truly despicable; Tang Lu felt indignant just thinking about it.
"Aren't you going back soon? Why don't you stay here for now?" Mrs. Tang said. She was already standing there, so it wouldn't be right for her not to say a word.
"I'm not staying here." Tang Lu went to get her luggage.
Tang Lu was going to visit Aunt Song. She thought she was not popular in the capital, so she should go back to Nancheng as soon as possible.
When Aunt Song heard that Tang Lu was leaving, she didn't let Tang Lu into the house. Instead, she had someone send Tang Lu a package of pastries. Tang Lu didn't see her mother; she took the pastries and left. Tang Lu understood what her mother was thinking; her mother didn't want to see her or the Tang family.
That's right. Tang Lu thought she didn't really want to see the Tang family either, so she decided to leave it at that. Tang Lu didn't run up to Aunt Song, didn't say that she had to see Aunt Song, and didn't mention the grievances she had suffered in the Tang family.
Tang Lu didn't say anything, but Aunt Song San figured it out after a little thought. Aunt Song San wasn't stupid; she knew how disgusting the Tang family was.
That evening, Tang Lu took a train and left the capital, not staying there for long.
After playing for two days, Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang started studying with the teacher together. Song Fenglan and her husband had already discussed the fees with the teacher and mentioned that Zhang Xiaohu would be joining them. Without Song Fenglan and her husband needing to say much, the teacher knew that the main focus was on tutoring Qin Zihang.
Zhang Xiaohu's grades weren't as good as Qin Zihang's, so Song Fenglan and her husband asked the teacher to explain things in a simpler and clearer way so that Zhang Xiaohu could understand as well. This would prevent the teacher from focusing solely on Qin Zihang and neglecting Zhang Xiaohu.
When Song's mother came to Song Fenglan's house, she brought some pastries for the children to eat.
When Zhang Xiaohu saw Song's mother, he also greeted her obediently.
"You can come visit us sometime," Song's mother said with a smile.
At the Qin family home, Qin's mother was very unhappy to learn that Song Fenglan and her husband had brought the child of their former neighbor in the southern city to the capital.
Qin's mother said some very unpleasant things in front of Qin's eldest aunt.
"Who are the relatives anyway?" Qin's mother said. "How could they do this? Li'an is Zihang's cousin!"
“They have a good relationship with others, and the money belongs to Song Fenglan, so she can do whatever she wants,” Aunt Qin said. “That person is just here to keep Zihang company, and Zihang doesn’t have to serve him. It would be different if Li’an went; you would have to make Qin Zihang serve him. Do you think Song Fenglan and her husband would be willing to do that?”
Aunt Qin really didn't understand how Qin's mother could always think so optimistically. Qin's mother wanted to get benefits from others without giving anything in return. How could that be possible?
"You're always thinking about this and that. Didn't you give all the things in the house to your eldest son?" Aunt Qin said.
“We have bought a house for Yizhou,” Qin’s mother said.
"Don't you know what that house is like?" Aunt Qin said. "All you do is say you bought a house, bought a house. People have eyes, they're not blind, how could they not know? You've given us a little something, and you keep talking about it, repeating it over and over, as if you're afraid others won't know."
"They're like this...it's too much"
"That's going too far," said Qin's mother. "Li'an is so wonderful."
“You’re not short of money. Why don’t you hire a tutor to help Li’an and take him out to play? That would be enough,” Aunt Qin said. “Don’t always think about having Qin Zihang help your Li’an. It’s unrealistic.”
Aunt Qin didn't want to hear Qin's mother say bad things about Qin Yizhou's family every time she came over, so she couldn't say anything bad about Qin Yizhou's family at this time.
"No, no, I still have to go and find them about this matter," said Qin's mother.
“Going to them will only make them hate Qin Li’an even more,” said Aunt Qin.
"How could that be?" Qin's mother still wanted to give it a try.
Then, Qin's mother didn't go to Song's mother or Song Fenglan, but instead went to Aunt Yu. Qin's mother thought that Aunt Yu's family background wasn't very good now, and the Jiang family was relatively poor. Qin's mother wanted Aunt Yu to persuade Song Fenglan, since Aunt Yu also had grandchildren, so why was Song Fenglan so biased towards outsiders?
“She’s not being biased, she’s just being grateful.” Aunt Yu was stopped by Qin’s mother when she went out to buy groceries.
Aunt Yu felt disgusted when she heard what Qin's mother said.
“Whether my grandchildren are doing well or not, whether they need tutoring, we will arrange that ourselves. Fenglan doesn’t need to arrange it,” Aunt Yu said. “Don’t always think about other people’s things.”
In the past, Aunt Yu was very polite to Qin's mother because of the special era; the Song family had a bad class background, and Aunt Yu herself had to live cautiously. But now, Aunt Yu could no longer be so gentle to Qin's mother.
Qin's mother herself ruined the Qin family, and she still wants others to treat Song Fenglan the same way she did.
Keep dreaming!
Aunt Yu has always been very sensible and knows that one should not overstep boundaries.
"You've helped Song Fenglan so much, haven't you thought about how she could repay you?" Qin's mother said.
"How do you know she didn't repay us?" Aunt Yu asked. "She did!"
It was a simple transaction, a cash transaction, and the Song family had already given them quite a bit of benefit. As relatives, that's enough; you can't keep using past favors to threaten people.
“She’s my niece, so it’s only right that I help her,” Aunt Yu said. “Your family has bullied her for so long, and now you want to bully her again?”
"No, she..."
"Don't even think about your child going to Fenglan's house. If your child were even a little bit more sensible, things wouldn't have turned out this way." Aunt Yu thought to herself, "I can't criticize others, but can't I criticize Tian Keshu's child?" "Your own grandson's class background is bad, so don't try to cause trouble for others. Don't wait until one day your precious grandson becomes a little spy before you regret it. Is Fenglan's house a place he can go?"
"you……"
"If you don't believe me, go ask your eldest son if your eldest grandson is suitable to go to Fenglan's house," Aunt Yu said. "Don't make these decisions on your own without asking your eldest son. Your eldest son's failure to get promoted is also related to you."
"You...you..." Qin's mother was so angry that her hands were trembling.
Qin's mother felt that everyone's attitude towards her had deteriorated significantly, unlike before. Qin's mother used to think that her family background was superior, and that she could do many things and even outdo Song Fenglan because of her good family background, despite her lack of formal education.
Sometimes, a lack of education is a terrible thing, like Qin's mother.
“Go back and ask your eldest son,” Aunt Yu said. “I’m sure he’ll understand.”
Qin's mother had initially thought that since she had come to see Aunt Yu, Aunt Yu might listen to her, but Aunt Yu completely ignored her. Not only did Aunt Yu disobey Qin's mother, she also warned the rest of the family not to be greedy for money, and not to think that just because they were relatives of Song Fenglan, Song Fenglan would help them more.
Song Fenglan only invited Zhang Xiaohu over for the summer vacation; he wasn't going to stay there every day. Being polite to her former neighbors was a way of repaying their kindness. Song Fenglan had already been quite good to the Jiang family.
"Mom, don't worry, we don't have that idea," said Sister-in-law Jiang.
Jiang Ersao no longer has these thoughts. She only wants to make and sell tofu. She doesn't need any fancy skills. As long as she has a specialty, she can make a living. She doesn't need others to help her.
When Song Fenglan learned of Qin's mother's idea, she found it ridiculous.
Qin's mother is really incompetent and loves to cause trouble. If she's doing well, she's high and mighty; if she's not doing well, she goes and bothers others. Does that mean others deserve to be bothered by her?
Song Fenglan still disliked Qin's mother as before. She didn't tell Zhang Xiaohu about the Qin family's affairs, only telling him to stay put. If any members of the Qin family dared to say anything unpleasant to Zhang Xiaohu, there was still Qin Zihang to deal with.
While Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou were taking a walk in the courtyard, Qin Yizhou heard Song Fenglan talk about what his mother had done, and he was speechless.
“Your mother really wants to sow discord,” Song Fenglan said. “According to her, if I can’t let other people come to my house, then I can’t have any other arrangements.”
"Don't worry about her, she's just too idle," Qin Yizhou said.
“She’s not just too idle, she’s spoiling her precious grandson too much. Only her precious grandson is her grandson, your brother’s children are her grandchildren, and everyone else isn’t her family,” Song Fenglan said. “I don’t know what she’s thinking. She actually went to my aunt. Does she think my aunt is a pushover and will listen to her?”
"Possibly." Qin Yizhou nodded.
"That's really going too far," Song Fenglan said. "Can't we just let everyone have a little peace and quiet?"
At the Qin family home, Qin's mother told Qin's eldest brother about sending Li'an to Song Fenglan's house to study. Song Fenglan had arranged for Qin Zihang to have an exceptionally good teacher.
“They’re not in the same grade, Li’an isn’t suitable to go there,” Brother Qin said bluntly. “Mom, don’t even think about sending Li’an there. My sister-in-law works in a classified unit, and Li’an has the blood of a spy’s family. Do you think we’re doing too well right now?”
"No, I..."
"You're not just causing trouble for Yizhou and his wife, you're causing trouble for me," Brother Qin said. "Mom, I've told you so many times not to go see them, not to go. Why are you still going?"
"I didn't go looking for your brother, nor did I go looking for Song Fenglan. I went to see Song Fenglan's aunt," Qin's mother said. "Song Fenglan is so kind to the neighbor's children, but so awful to her relatives' children. What kind of person is she? She doesn't know how to be nice to her relatives, all she knows is..."
"Mom," Brother Qin interrupted his mother, "Perhaps that person helped her a lot, which is why she helped them. Just think of it as... just think of that child as a companion to the Crown Prince."
Brother Qin found an adjective that he felt was pretty much it. Brother Qin really didn't want his mother to cause trouble for Song Fenglan. He was speechless; his own mother was like an unreasonable woman, and no matter what he said, it was useless.
Time and again, Brother Qin worried that he would be harmed by his mother sooner or later.
“Mom, if you really want what’s best for me and for Li’an, please stop causing trouble for us and stop bothering these people,” Brother Qin said. “We still have to live our lives. We don’t want to go to jail. My sister-in-law works in a classified unit. What if Li’an goes there and says he’s messed with her files?”
"How could a little kid like Li'an possibly..."
“Why not? He can give the information to others; he doesn’t need to know it himself,” Brother Qin said. “If that were the case, would he be alright, and would I be alright? Or do you think your sister-in-law wouldn’t do such a thing? Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. If you keep tormenting her like this, she’ll get unhappy too.”
Brother Qin works within the system. He's not someone who knows nothing. Sometimes, it's better to do less than more. Try not to trouble others if you can avoid it.
“Next time you do these things, please let us know first. Don’t just make decisions on your own without telling us,” Brother Qin said. “You’re not helping me, you’re setting me up.”
Brother Qin was extremely flustered, as he had not paid any attention to the secrets in Song Fenglan's possession.
“A spy was executed a couple of days ago!” Brother Qin said. “Our unit is still discussing this. It seems that he stole information from my sister-in-law’s unit.”
"Shot...executed?" Qin's mother exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes, it’s execution by firing squad,” Brother Qin said. “They just shoot you, instead of going to jail. If you go to jail, you still have a chance to get out, and even if you don’t get out, you’re still alive. Execution by firing squad means you’re gone right away.”
"I..." Qin's mother's voice trembled slightly.
“Since your sister-in-law didn’t hold those things against us, we shouldn’t go looking for trouble,” Brother Qin said. “If we offer ourselves up, it will be easy for others to deal with us.”
"I...how would I know these things?" Qin's mother said. "I just wanted you and Yizhou to be brothers, you two..."
“Yizhou isn’t the only one in his family.” Brother Qin frowned. “Mom, don’t always make me emphasize these things to you. If I’m not paying attention, you’ll run up to those people. Look at Dad, he’s so nice. He goes out fishing and reads the newspaper when he’s free. You should be like Dad. You can go out and chat with the neighbors or take Li’an for a walk, but just don’t go up to your brother and sister-in-law.”
Brother Qin repeatedly emphasized this to his mother, but she only felt that Qin Yizhou was her biological son and didn't believe he would go to such lengths. However, she was still somewhat afraid; her precious grandson's background was indeed problematic, so she didn't want him to go through with it.
"I... never mind, since you've said that, do you really think I can insist on taking Li'an with me?" Qin's mother said. "You and Yizhou used to be inseparable, but now, does he still consider you his brother?"
“If he didn’t treat me like a brother, he wouldn’t be like this,” Brother Qin said. “Mom, please say less. Our generation is different from yours. We can handle things ourselves.”
Brother Qin told himself that this was his biological mother.
At this point, Brother Qin was starting to have second thoughts about supporting his mother. She only caused him trouble, and she always claimed it was for his own good. Qin Yizhou, on the other hand, didn't need to support his mother. While she would criticize him, she wasn't always around, making things easier for him.
Song Fenglan didn't know that Brother Qin was talking to Qin like this.
If her mother knew what he said, she would be speechless. Song Fenglan wouldn't go so far as to frame someone. No matter how bad Qin's mother was, she was still Qin Yizhou's biological mother. Qin Li'an was a minor; Song Fenglan wouldn't go so far as to kill a child.
In recent days, due to the espionage incident, the research institute has indeed tightened its controls. This applies not only to the research institute but also to other related departments.
It's important to understand that there are many more outstanding scientists abroad. If those scientists were to see those materials, they would likely grasp the concepts even faster than scientists in China.
Song Fenglan didn't keep any important documents at home. She had children who would often invite their friends over to play. There were some documents in her study, but she didn't allow anyone in. She would lock the study door to prevent her children from accidentally running in.
Zhang Xiaohu's clothes were all carefully selected by his aunt, who brought over some of the better ones from her home. However, those clothes still looked a bit old, so Song Fenglan bought Zhang Xiaohu new clothes. Song Fenglan's nephew had some hand-me-downs, which were still in good condition. Now that the children were going to play together, it wouldn't be appropriate for Zhang Xiaohu to wear his nephew's old clothes.
Song Fenglan was worried that people would talk about Zhang Xiaohu, so she thought it better to buy him new clothes. When Zhang Xiaohu was about to go back, she could take the old clothes that were still in good condition with him. Then, she could have someone see Zhang Xiaohu onto the train and tell the conductor that when they arrived at the South City terminal, they could have someone help him unload his clothes. That would be fine.
When Zhang Xiaohu saw the new clothes Song Fenglan had bought for him, he was very excited. "Are these new clothes for me?"
“Yes, I bought it when I passed by the mall,” Song Fenglan said. “You and Zihang both have them. Try them on and see if they fit and look good.”
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