Chapter 80 If it were me, I would have severed ties long ago regarding the room allocation.
Niu Cuihua is Guo Yan's wife, and Guo Yan is Guo Peng's younger brother. They had always lived in the countryside. Guo Peng and his wife naturally hadn't considered bringing Guo Yan and his wife to the city; Guo Peng sent some money to his parents in the countryside every month, and that was enough. They worried that if Guo Yan came to the city, they would have to shoulder more responsibilities.
Guo Peng and his wife were unwilling to help their younger brother's family, and Niu Cuihua understood their mindset and didn't think they were wrong. If it were her, she wouldn't want to always be helping others either.
This time, Niu Cuihua and her husband came out with a do-or-die attitude. They brought all the money from home with them, and Guo's mother also gave them her money, all so they could open a shop.
Niu Cuihua and her husband planned to make steamed buns and mantou, as well as sell noodles and wontons. People from Niu Cuihua's family loved mixed noodles and wontons, and Niu Cuihua was very skilled at making these. Fortunately, Fan Yani could help them choose a shop location, and after renting a place, they could start preparing.
Fan Yani was not Guo's biological daughter after all, so Niu Cuihua and her husband didn't dare to let Fan Yani help them too much. Even if she were their biological daughter, they had to know when to stop.
When Niu Cuihua saw Li Hui's niece, she couldn't help but ask, "Whose adopted daughter is this child?"
“Mom helps Yani take care of the kids, which is perfect. Whether it’s two kids or three, it’s all the same,” Li Hui said. “If you want Mom to take care of the kids, you can send them over too.”
“We don’t need to take care of our children,” Niu Cuihua said. “We’ll raise them ourselves, and the older children can help take care of the younger ones.”
Niu Cuihua felt embarrassed to ask Guo's mother to take care of her children, mainly because Guo's mother lived with Fan Yani and was helping Fan Yani, and Fan Yani had given Guo's mother money. If Fan Yani hadn't given her money, then Niu Cuihua could indeed have just dumped the children there. But since Guo's mother was paying her, she was also supporting Niu Cuihua and her husband's business.
Under these circumstances, Niu Cuihua dared not throw the child over, fearing that Fan Yani would be angry and wouldn't support them later. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake, and besides, Niu Cuihua and her husband weren't powerful dragons.
Seeing that Li Hui showed no embarrassment whatsoever, Niu Cuihua could only think that Li Hui was really shameless.
Fan Yani didn't chase the little girl away because of the child's gender; as a woman, she felt even more pity for the abandoned girl. Li Hui's family certainly wouldn't interfere in the little girl's life; most couples these days have multiple children, and one daughter was nothing to them. When Li Hui talked to her family about the child, she couldn't possibly say the child was suffering, much less that she didn't care for the child.
A combination of factors has led to the current situation. The child seems relatively well-behaved now, so Fan Yani can still tolerate it.
Fan Yani took it as they were doing a good deed; they didn't need the girl's few bites of food.
“You’re used to raising your own children, so it’s good for them to be with you,” Li Hui said. “I’ve never raised children before and don’t know how, so I asked my mother to help me.”
Li Hui, as if she had a very good point, said, "This child should also call Mom and Grandma."
"..." This is too shameless. Niu Cuihua was ashamed of herself. Anyway, she didn't have such a thick skin and couldn't say such a thing.
After Qin Zihang left, Zhang Xiaohu would always run next door to check on things, but the place was empty. No one invited Zhang Xiaohu over to play, and no one said, "Xiaohu, call your brother and come over for something to eat."
Zhang Xiaohu wasn't thinking about the food; he was thinking about the people. He felt uncomfortable with how kind these people were to him.
"You've come here again?" The plump woman came over with a cleaver and a basket; she wanted to cut down a couple of the vegetables on the ground to take back with her.
These past few days, Fatty's wife has mostly been coming over to cut vegetables from Song Fenglan's yard, leaving the vegetables in her own yard for later. After Fatty's wife and the others cut the vegetables from next door, the new residents can plant other things.
"Mom, there are still a lot of garlic plants over there," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Should we pull them out?"
"No need, there's too much garlic, we can't finish it all." The plump woman then noticed the ginger on the side. There were too many seasonings; she could save some for the new neighbors. If the new neighbors didn't want it, she would pull it all up.
The plump woman thought that Fan Yani might need these seasonings. Fan Yani makes and sells things, and her younger brother and sister-in-law have also come over, saying they want to sell things. If Fan Yani wants them, she can pick these side dishes and take them back with her.
Song Fenglan had already returned to the capital, so she didn't care how these people distributed the produce from the vegetable garden. Anyway, Song Fenglan wouldn't see it or eat it.
“It was planted by my younger brother Zihang,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “I also planted it with him.”
“What you planted together is useless. Even if you don’t pull them out now, you’ll have to pull them out later,” said the plump woman. “Once someone else moves in here, you shouldn’t keep coming over.”
“Someone lives here, so I’m not coming over,” Zhang Xiaohu said, pursing his lips.
"That's not necessarily true. What if you become friends with someone else's child?" said the plump woman.
“None of them are Zihang’s younger brother,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “Zihang’s younger brother is the best.”
“Yes, he’s the best,” said the plump woman. “You’ve been eating their food for so many years. If he weren’t good, would you be allowed to eat there?”
The plump woman chopped the vegetables, put them in the basket, and looked at Zhang Xiaohu, saying, "Let's go back."
"Let's go back later," Zhang Xiaohu said.
"What are you doing squatting here? Are you checking if there are any bugs on the vegetable leaves?" the plump woman asked.
"No, I just wanted to look, just wanted to look." Zhang Xiaohu missed Song Fenglan's family.
“Looking at it again, it’s still the same. They went to the capital.” The fat woman said, “When you get into a university in the capital, you and Zihang will be able to meet.”
"Can I make a phone call?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.
"Don't call unless it's important, or you'll ask for money," said the plump woman.
The phone at Song Fenglan's house has been disconnected. If the next person moving in needs a phone, they'll have to get a new one installed. The phone at Song Fenglan's house was installed by the research institute, and they paid for it. The military and the research institute are separate entities; the new residents are military personnel, not research staff. Even within the research institute, not every researcher has a phone installed in their home.
On the first day of the new year, Song Fenglan and her family of three packed their things and took some items to visit Aunt Yu. Song Fenglan preferred to go to Aunt Yu's place first, as Aunt Yu had previously helped take care of Qin Zihang, while the Qin family hadn't done anything.
"Now that you're back, you shouldn't go out anymore, right?" Aunt Yu asked.
“From now on, I’ll be going on business trips,” Song Fenglan said. “I’ll mainly stay in the capital. Yizhou and I have both been transferred to the capital.”
"Great, your mom is so happy." Aunt Yu looked at Qin Zihang, "Hangbao, do you still recognize your auntie?"
"Auntie." Qin Zihang's memory of his aunt's face was a little blurry, but he was still somewhat familiar with the Jiang family.
"Yes." Aunt Yu nodded.
Just as Song Fenglan and the others were talking to Aunt Yu, Jiang Erge returned with his wife and children, standing at the door carrying large bags and bundles. Aunt Yu knew her second son was coming home, but she hadn't expected...
They're back now.
“Mom,” Jiang Erge said.
Song Fenglan followed Aunt Yu's gaze and saw Jiang Erge. Jiang Erge had already gone to the countryside as an educated youth when Song Fenglan was living at the Jiang family's house.
Compared to before he went to the countryside, Jiang Erge looked much older, with darker skin. His wife, who was with him, was also a sent-down youth, but not from the capital; she came from elsewhere. The couple had two sons and two daughters, and as soon as they were able to return to the city, they rushed to the capital.
"Second cousin, second cousin's wife," Song Fenglan said. "Zihang, call him second cousin's uncle and second cousin's aunt."
“Second cousin, second cousin’s wife,” Qin Zihang said.
Qin Yizhou nodded to Jiang Erge, and Jiang Erge politely returned the greeting.
"Auntie, we're going back now." Seeing that Jiang Erge and the others had returned, and that Aunt Yu would be busy, Song Fenglan's family naturally couldn't stay any longer.
"Won't you sit for a while longer?" Aunt Yu asked.
"No, thank you," Song Fenglan said. "We just got back, and we still have a lot of things to take care of."
"Okay, you can go back now. See you another day." Aunt Yu saw Song Fenglan and her family to the door.
After seeing Song Fenglan and her family off, Aunt Yu returned to the living room and took her second son and the others to their room. The room had already been tidied up, and a set of bunk beds had been set up for the children to sleep in.
With so many children and so few empty rooms, they have to squeeze in like this.
The room where Song Fenglan used to sleep has long been repurposed and is no longer empty.
The large room where Jiang Erge slept was originally his room before he went to the countryside; later, Jiang Yufei slept in it. Song Fenglan's room was relatively smaller, but it was still enough for her.
Aunt Yu noticed that her second son looked much more haggard. A young man who had gone to the countryside had returned looking like this. He was only in his early thirties, but he looked almost forty.
"You guys pack your things first, I'll go cook for you," Aunt Yu said.
Jiang Ersao looked at the bunk bed in the room, and then at the bed next to it. Were the four of them going to sleep in one room?
"Aren't there any other rooms?" Jiang Ersao asked.
“No, this is the biggest room,” Jiang Erge said. “I used to sleep here. Mom once said that this room could be divided into two. I thought they had already divided it, but it turns out they haven’t. If you want, you can divide it.”
"How do we separate them? By putting up a curtain?" Jiang Ersao asked.
"We can use bricks," said Brother Jiang.
"Is this room for us?" Jiang Ersao asked again. She knew that many educated youths who returned to the city didn't even have a place to live. In situations like hers and her husband's, two educated youths from different places, some simply parted ways and returned to their respective cities.
Jiang Ersao knew that Jiang Erge was from the capital, and that's why she wanted to come to the capital, because the capital was much better than other places.
"Perhaps," said Jiang Erge.
“Maybe? Then it might not be?” Jiang Ersao said. “You have to ask your parents. It’s not like they’re just lending us a place to live and then expecting us to move out. Your older brother didn’t go to the countryside. He lives so well at home, and his children have their own rooms. They don’t have to squeeze into a room with the two of them. As for us, we have to squeeze into a room with the children. It’s not unreasonable for us to want a room.”
Jiang Ersao couldn't possibly not think about herself; they needed a place to stay in the capital, a place to live now, and a place to live in the future. Jiang Ersao didn't want to be kicked out one day, and she didn't want to live on the roadside.
“We just got back. I’ll ask Mom and Dad again in a couple of days,” Jiang Erge said.
"Ask them sooner rather than later, and make sure you know the details," said Jiang Ersao. "You've suffered because you went to the countryside. When you return to the city, you'll need a place to stay. They can't just kick us out halfway through."
Jiang Ersao was whispering with Jiang Erge in the room, and Jiang Dasao put her ear to the door to listen in. Jiang Dasao didn't dare to eavesdrop for too long, for fear of being discovered.
When Old Mrs. Jiang and her group decided to prepare this large room, Jiang's sister-in-law anticipated that Jiang's second brother's family would definitely covet it. Even if it weren't this room, Jiang's second brother's family would still have coveted it.
You should know that some educated youth had nowhere to live after returning to the city, and they even got into fights with their families, which were quite serious.
Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou took Qin Zihang back home. With a driver, the trip was convenient. Once home, Song Fenglan asked Qin Yizhou what they needed to prepare for the Qin family visit. She planned to buy some fruit and other necessities, which would be sufficient.
The couple didn't take much from the Qin family. During holidays, they would either have someone buy things and deliver them to the Qin family or send money directly to Qin's parents, which showed their thoughtfulness. Now, when they went to the Qin family, they didn't necessarily need to bring a lot of things.
"Buying some fruit will be enough," Qin Yizhou said. "There's no need to buy anything else."
"Aren't you afraid your parents will say something?" Song Fenglan asked.
"We didn't bring anything when we went to visit my parents and in-laws," Qin Yizhou said. "We ate there instead."
Qin Yizhou thought that they had given Song's parents very little. "My parents-in-law prepared a lot of things for us. These things were all prepared with care and money."
"That's right, my parents are so good to me," Song Fenglan chuckled.
"My parents are good to me too," Qin Zihang added.
“Yes, it’s for your own good.” Song Fenglan looked at her son. “Don’t think that just because you’ve transferred schools you don’t have to do your summer homework. You still have to do your summer homework.”
"Okay, I'll write it." Qin Zihang nodded. "I'll definitely write it well."
“That’s right,” Song Fenglan said. “Your room is so big, and your desk is much bigger too. You can put more books in there.”
"Let go, I'm going to study hard," Qin Zihang said. "So that in the future, I can be as amazing as Mom."
Qin Zihang has grown up a bit, but his thoughts remain the same. Qin Zihang's grades at Nancheng School are excellent; he's almost always at the top of his class.
Song Fenglan didn't think Qin Zihang would fall behind in the pace of the schools in the capital. She believed he would adapt quickly. It was still summer vacation, and Qin Zihang could go to school when the new semester started. Speaking of schools, Song Fenglan was thinking of arranging a good school for Qin Zihang that was close by.
“The elementary school near our home is quite good,” Song Fenglan said. “But the school near our research institute is even better. It’s a bit further from here by car, about 20 minutes away. The children can eat lunch at the school or we can bring them lunch. The elementary school nearby is just a walk away. The school at our institute allows students to go directly from elementary to high school, as long as their grades are good enough.”
The new school has many children of researchers, who are relatively smarter, and the school also has good teaching staff.
"Zihang, do you want to go to a better school, or do you want to walk to school?" Song Fenglan asked. "If it's a twenty-minute walk, it will take about fifty minutes to go back and forth. If you come home for dinner, you won't have much time to rest. Of course, you can also rent a room there and go there during your lunch break."
"I want to go to a good school," Qin Zihang said quickly. "I want to become even more amazing."
Qin Zihang didn't intend to walk to school; his parents couldn't just ignore him.
“Okay, that’s the school affiliated with our research institute,” Song Fenglan said. “Let’s rent a room for you to rest and eat.”
Song Fenglan didn't know if the food in the school cafeteria was good or not; what she did know was that many problems had been exposed in the school cafeteria in her previous life. Anyway, since they had to hire someone for the family, the hired nanny could bring Qin Zihang meals and take him to rest while Song Fenglan went to work, and then take him to class in the afternoon.
"Are you renting a place?" Qin Yizhou asked.
“If we don’t want to rent, then we’ll buy a house,” Song Fenglan said. “I don’t know if there are any houses for sale nearby. I’ll have my second brother inquire about it. If there are any houses for sale, we’ll buy one.”
Song Fenglan had thought it over. The school affiliated with the research institute was right next to it, very close by. The driver could also pick up and drop off Qin Zihang while taking Song Fenglan to and from work. If Song Fenglan got off work too late, the driver could take Qin Zihang home first. The nanny would also have to work a little harder, cooking breakfast and dinner here, and lunch at the house next to the institute.
Everything is for the child; we need to ensure that the child can study in peace and not let Qin Zihang worry about anything else.
“Once the house is bought, it can be registered under Zihang’s name,” Song Fenglan said.
"Okay, sure." Qin Yizhou had no objections.
Song Erge brought some things to visit Song Fenglan. When he learned that Song Fenglan wanted to buy a house near the research institute, he naturally supported her.
"There are few houses available over there, and very few people are selling them." Brother Song knew that it was difficult to find a house there, let alone sell one. "Can your company allocate you a house? If your company does, it will be allocated directly over there."
"House allocation?" Song Fenglan had never really thought about it.
“Yes, you should be eligible for housing allocation,” said Brother Song. “Even though you just got back, you should still be eligible. Let’s check with your workplace first. If your workplace is eligible, you won’t need to buy a house. I’ll also ask around to see if anyone is selling a house.”
“That works too.” Song Fenglan had no objections.
As Song Erge was about to leave, he happened to see Cao Fang and nodded to her. Cao Fang lived in Song Fenglan's house; there were plenty of rooms, so she could stay there. After taking a few steps, Song Erge turned back to look at Cao Fang. Why had Cao Fang followed him?
Shouldn't a woman Cao Fang's age be married and have children? Shouldn't she stay by her husband's side? Or is Cao Fang's husband and children coming with her?
Brother Song didn't understand, so he turned and left.
Cao Fang, being a soldier, sensed Song Erge's gaze, but she didn't turn around. Only after Song Erge turned to leave did Cao Fang turn back.
This morning, Cao Fang reported to her new department; she has been transferred from the military to the national security department. Cao Fang will continue to be primarily responsible for Song Fenglan's safety, just as before.
In the afternoon, the nanny arranged by the organization arrived. Sun Mei, about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, could be addressed as Aunt Sun or Sister Sun. Although there was a slight age difference, many people preferred to call the nanny Aunt X or Sister X. Sun Mei was a former soldier, disciplined, a good cook, and knew how to take care of people.
Sun Mei's in-laws live in the capital, and her children are taken care of by them, so she doesn't need to worry about them much. Since her in-laws don't have much money, Sun Mei wanted to earn some money herself. She didn't work for several years, staying home to take care of her children.
After arriving, Sun Mei tidied up her room and then went to buy groceries and cook. Sun Mei could stay here or choose to go back. It might be a bit late at night, but around 7 or 8 pm is still okay, as there are still buses. In the morning, Sun Mei could also come early and start making breakfast around 6:30 am, which would be enough time.
Sun Mei thought she could stay here, and if anything happened at home, she could go back anytime, which would be very convenient.
Cao Fang and Sun Mei did not know each other; this was their first meeting.
Sun Mei was quite surprised when she learned that Cao Fang was over thirty and still unmarried.
"Haven't you met anyone suitable?" Sun Mei asked.
"Indeed, I haven't met anyone suitable," Cao Fang said.
"It's just that the time isn't right yet. We'll find it when the time is right," Sun Mei said.
Sun Mei didn't press for an explanation; there was no need to dig deeper. They all worked under the same roof and were colleagues.
Another day passed, and Song Fenglan and her husband took Qin Zihang to the Qin family home. Qin's parents were fairly polite to them, as Qin's father always was, and Qin's mother, though dissatisfied, had to appear happy. When Qin's mother saw the fruit the couple had brought, she did feel the gift was a bit inadequate. Song Fenglan and her husband hadn't returned for many years; shouldn't they have brought something more valuable?
"Come, sit down," said Qin's mother.
This was the first time Song Fenglan's family had met You Yun, who was standing beside them holding a child.
"Sister-in-law," You Yun said with a smile, putting her son down on the ground. "Go, go play with your brother Zihang."
"Brother Zihang." You Yun's child looked at Qin Zihang curiously.
This child was pampered by the entire Qin family and was a bit bolder. He even walked up to Qin Zihang and tugged at Qin Zihang's clothes.
"Little brother," Qin Zihang said, but he didn't like getting close to this little brother, so he walked behind Song Fenglan.
Seeing this, You Yun didn't say anything bad about Qin Zihang. It was a perfectly normal thing, and Qin Zihang probably still remembered how the Qin family treated him. This reminded You Yun of Qin's mother's attitude towards Qin's second sister's children; Qin's mother was truly hypocritical and blatantly so, without even pretending.
"What would you like to drink? Plain water, tea, or milk?" You Yun asked.
"Plain water is fine," Song Fenglan said.
“Okay.” You Yun nodded and looked at Qin Zihang.
“I’m just like my mom,” Qin Zihang said.
"It's all the same," Qin Yizhou said. "Plain boiled water will do."
"Have lunch here. We bought a lot of groceries at home, just in case you came," You Yun said.
Unlike Tian Keshu, You Yun was still given face by Song Fenglan and her family of three staying for dinner. You Yun breathed a sigh of relief when Song Fenglan nodded. You Yun didn't intend for Song Fenglan and her family to treat their branch of the family well; she only wanted to maintain a semblance of peace.
It was the Qin family who were in the wrong from the start. You Yun was a late marriage, so no matter how much she tried to make amends, it would be useless; she could only maintain appearances.
During the meal, Qin's mother couldn't control herself; she just wanted to say a few words.
"Zihang wants to transfer schools, right?" Qin's mother said. "He can study with his brother..."
Before Qin's mother could finish speaking, Qin's father stepped on her foot. Qin's mother looked at Qin's father.
"Let them make their own decision." Qin's father didn't intend to interfere with which school Qin Zihang attended.
“Cousins, going to the same school, taking care of each other, isn’t that wonderful?” Qin’s mother said.
“Your eldest grandson is fine, but my Hangbao is not,” Song Fenglan said.
“It’s not just about being good to my eldest grandson; Hangbao is also my grandson, I…”
"We've finished eating." Song Fenglan didn't want to listen to Qin's mother's nonsense, so she got up and left with Qin Zihang.
Qin Yizhou naturally followed Song Fenglan's footsteps, without speaking to his parents. Qin Yizhou was very disappointed; his mother was still thinking about his older brother's child, not Zihang.
Qin's mother didn't ask which school was better, nor did she ask Qin Zihang what school options he had. She simply said that Qin Zihang should go to the same school as Qin's older brother's child.
"They just left like that?" Qin's mother was taken aback.
"Didn't I tell you not to say it?" Qin's father frowned. "Why are you still talking?"
“I’m not wrong. Zihang transferred back to school. She didn’t have a school before…”
“He can’t possibly be without a school to attend!” You Yun said.
You Yun felt incredibly unlucky. She had originally planned to invite Song Fenglan and her family of three to have dinner, hoping everyone could just eat quietly. But Qin's mother had to say those things—what a load of rubbish!
“You all know about the child’s situation. Because of his mother, he’s not doing well at school,” Qin’s mother said. “He…”
“We shouldn’t let Zihang go along with him,” You Yun said. “Your sister-in-law and the others have made the arrangements.”
You Yun was a little annoyed; Qin's mother really shouldn't have spoken up.
"Will everything be arranged?" Qin's mother asked. "Wouldn't it be great if the cousins could come together?"
“No,” You Yun said. “Zihang is not anyone’s follower and does not need to protect anyone. He just needs to live his own life.”
"you……"
“She’s right,” said Qin’s father.
Brother Qin wasn't home; he was working overtime at his company. Brother Qin had no hope of promotion, but he still liked to perform well, just in case he got promoted, maybe it would be his turn.
"Don't worry about Zihang's matter."
"That's too much to ask," said Qin's father. "Let the young couple choose the school themselves."
"What schools do they have to choose from?" Qin's mother asked.
“There are plenty of schools to choose from,” You Yun said.
Qin Zihang was still hungry, so Song Fenglan and her husband took him out to a restaurant so that the child could have a full meal.
In the restaurant, Song Fenglan couldn't help but say, "Does your mother want my son to be her eldest grandson's bodyguard? What do you mean by mutual support? Doesn't she know what kind of personality her eldest grandson has?"
My eldest grandson isn't here today; I don't know where he went.
"Why does she harbor such malice towards Zihang?" Song Fenglan said. "Just because she's dissatisfied with me, does that mean she has to treat Zihang so badly?"
"Don't worry about her, just do what you want," Qin Yizhou said. "Our Hangbao doesn't need to help his cousin or do anything unnecessary."
"Mm." Song Fenglan nodded.
"Mom, eat quickly," Qin Zihang said. "Eat quickly, you didn't eat much just now."
“Okay, let’s eat together,” Song Fenglan said.
"Next time, don't eat there." Qin Yizhou understood that Song Fenglan was giving face to her new sister-in-law, but even if they gave her face, Qin's parents might not give them the same face.
“Hmm, we won’t eat there next time,” Song Fenglan said. “Even if we do, it’ll be the same. Maybe your mother just thinks we’re easy to fool, so she has to try to fool us a few times.”
Song Fenglan served food to Qin Zihang, and she felt speechless when she thought of what Qin's mother had said.
That evening, when Brother Qin returned home, You Yun told him about what Qin's mother had done.
The two talked in the room, not in the living room. You Yun didn't want her stepson and stepdaughter to hear these words; she still had to talk to Brother Qin privately.
“How can you say such a thing?” You Yun said. “It’s not that I have a problem with your eldest son, but… why should Qin Zihang help him? Whether he’s doing well or not at school has nothing to do with Zihang. In the past, when Zihang was criticized, no one helped him.”
You Yun felt that Qin's mother was seriously ill. "Just because they are cousins, does that mean people have to help him?"
"When you're home, don't let Mom say those things." Brother Qin frowned. His eldest son and daughter were ruined; they were involved with spies and there was no way they could turn out well. He still valued his youngest son; only his youngest son had a better future.
“I would like to stop her, but I could stop her. Dad signaled her to stop, but she still said it,” You Yun said. “It’s rare for your brother and sister-in-law’s family to have a meal here, and it ended badly. How will they dare to eat here again? Every time we have a meal, your mother has to say those things.”
"That's just her personality." Brother Qin thought to himself that if his mother could get it done, that would be fine, but if she couldn't, then everyone would be in trouble.
“We still need to be careful about how we show favoritism. It’s too obvious,” You Yun said. “I heard that my sister-in-law is coming back, and her family has prepared a lot of things. Our parents haven’t prepared anything, yet they’re making all sorts of demands. Do they think we’re fools?”
You Yun really didn't understand Qin's mother. Was Tian Keshu's child really that good?
"Sigh," Brother Qin sighed, "She...she..."
Brother Qin didn't know what to say; he just felt a headache coming on.
"Our relationship with Yizhou... well, that's just how it is," Brother Qin said.
“Isn’t this the only way?” You Yun said. “Today, I asked them to stay for dinner. My sister-in-law is a good person and wanted to give me face. But Mom didn’t give her face, nor did she give us face.”
You Yun was angry just thinking about it. She could have arranged everything herself, but Qin's mother insisted on making things difficult.
However, even in front of Qin's father, Qin's mother still felt that Song Fenglan and her husband were not right.
"He's forgotten his mother now that he has a wife." Lying on the bed, Qin's mother felt increasingly uneasy. "We shouldn't have let them get married in the first place."
"You objected," Qin's father said. No matter how much they objected, it was no use; Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan still got married.
“We did object,” Qin’s mother said. “But weren’t they disobedient?”
"Don't say anything more," Qin's father said. "You know they won't listen."
“But our grandson… he’s at school…” Qin’s mother felt a headache just thinking about it.
"Never mind him," said Qin's father. "He's all grown up now, not a three-year-old child. He has to bear what he has to bear."
"Isn't it because we can't bear to part with him?" Qin's mother doted on her eldest grandson and always wanted to help him so that his future would be easier. "How could we have imagined that the Song family would become so prosperous all of a sudden?"
Qin's father hadn't expected the Song family to become so powerful; they were wealthy and doing well in all aspects. Looking at the Qin family now, the difference was truly immense.
On a new day, Song Fenglan went to the research institute to report for duty, and the director took her to his office.
"The experimental equipment, the laboratory, the office—everything is ready for you, just waiting for you to come." The director was somewhat excited, knowing that the people in the institute had urged him many times to find a way to transfer Song Fenglan over. "Besides these, the institute has also allocated you an apartment, a three-bedroom, two-living-room house. It's near the institute, so you can go there to rest during your lunch break. Your child can attend the institute's school, so it'll be convenient for you to rest when you need to."
Excellent people should naturally receive plenty of benefits; you can't expect a horse to run without feeding it.
Whether Song Fenglan originally owned a house or not is irrelevant. Her house isn't even in this area, and even if she did, that's not a reason for her not to receive a house. Everyone knows that receiving an extra house always has its advantages; the original house can be rented out, and even if it isn't, the extra house provides a place to rest.
The apartment allocated to Song Fenglan by her work unit was naturally not as good as her own, but its advantage lay in its proximity to both the unit and the affiliated school. Song Fenglan was a mother, and the director wanted to take good care of her family as much as possible.
“The house is nice. I’m thinking of buying one nearby, or if that doesn’t work, we’ll rent one,” Song Fenglan said. “We do plan to send Zihang to the school affiliated with our workplace.”
"Isn't this great?" the director said. "When you go to rest at noon, you can also see the children. Isn't that wonderful?"
"Yes, it's very good." Song Fenglan was very satisfied. "You've thought of everything so thoroughly."
Song Fenglan had previously helped out at the company, and now she has officially reported for duty and become an employee of the company.
Some people may not know Song Fenglan, but they know that the company went to great lengths to get her there; Song Fenglan is very capable. Someone who can get the company to do this is definitely not an ordinary person with connections.
"It's nothing," the director replied.
In the evening, Song Fenglan returned home, and her second brother came over.
Brother Song asked around and found out that no one was selling houses there for the time being. The houses owned by the work unit couldn't be sold, and those houses were for people to live in themselves, so they weren't easy to sell either.
"If you want to buy, you'll have to wait," said Brother Song. "Renting a house, however, is an option."
Brother Song is willing to pay more, but others are unwilling to sell, so there's nothing that can be done.
“We don’t need to rent a place anymore,” Song Fenglan said. “Second brother, you’re right. The company provides housing, a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment. It’s a pretty good place, right next to the company. I just went to take a look. After a little tidying up, we can move in. When Zihang was studying, he ate lunch there during his lunch break, so this is enough.”
Song Fenglan doesn't have high requirements for the house; what's important is that the house is clean and tidy, and the environment is acceptable.
"That's good too," Song Erge nodded. "That way we don't have to look for other houses."
"Second brother, have you eaten yet? Why don't you eat here?" Song Fenglan said.
“Okay, we’ll eat here.” Second Brother Song nodded.
Sun Mei cooks extra rice; if there isn't enough, she can also cook some dumplings.
During the meal, Sun Mei and Cao Fang sat together to eat.
Qin Yizhou returned just in time for dinner. The house here wasn't too far from the military base where Qin Yizhou was stationed. He rode his bike there himself, which was convenient.
"Second Brother." Qin Yizhou greeted Song Erge.
"Come and eat," said Brother Song.
“The company has allocated housing, so there’s no need to find another place,” Song Fenglan said. “When school starts, Zihang can go directly to register.”
"Mom." Qin Zihang looked at his mother. He was looking forward to the new school, but also a little scared. He was afraid that the students wouldn't like him and he wouldn't be able to make friends. They had been studying together for many years, and he had just transferred there. He might not be able to fit in easily.
“You can go home to rest at noon. If your mother has time, she can also go over to rest,” Song Fenglan said. “Don’t worry, you’ll make new friends at the new school.”
Song Fenglan understood what Qin Zihang was worried about. It was understandable that he was anxious and uneasy about his child transferring schools. All Song Fenglan could do was reassure her son, "From now on, you don't need to transfer schools anymore. Just wait to move on to the next grade."
"Mm." Qin Zihang nodded.
“Your mother is right. Even if your mother goes somewhere else, you can stay here and study,” said Song Erge.
"Is Mom going anywhere else?" Qin Zihang asked. "I'm going with Mom."
“No, if he’s on a business trip, he’ll be back soon,” Song Fenglan said. “Second brother, please don’t scare our Hangbao. He’s sad because he’s separated from his best friend. He doesn’t have any other friends, so he just hangs out with his cousins.”
"I won't be scared," Qin Zihang said. "My second uncle can't scare me."
"I should have scared you when you were little," Song Erge joked. "It's a pity that your second uncle wasn't there for you when you were very, very young."
"My second uncle is here now," Qin Zihang said. "Second uncle, are you going to have a baby too? I want a little brother."
"It's... still early," said Brother Song.
"Try some dumplings." Qin Yizhou picked up a dumpling for Qin Zihang.
Qin Zihang looked at his father, took a bite of a dumpling. The dumplings were delicious, and he wanted to eat two more.
Song Erge glanced at Cao Fang, who also picked up a dumpling. She thought to herself, no wonder Qin Zihang picked up several; these dumplings really do taste good.
When Aunt Qin went to the Qin family, she heard Qin's mother complaining about Song Fenglan and her husband. She and You Yun shared the same thought: Qin's mother was mentally unstable.
"They even came to see you, that's already very kind!" Aunt Qin said. "If it were me, I would have cut off all ties with you, forbade Zihang from calling you grandpa and grandma, and stopped having any contact with you!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
