Chapter 36 Heartbreaking! You should get a divorce!
“If you come back earlier, you can pick up the children and also visit your aunt,” Song Fenglan said. “Although we’re doing alright living here, we can’t always be sure what might happen.”
Song Fenglan was worried about something going wrong. If it didn't happen, she would say it was a few percent probability, but if it did, it was a 100% probability. Song Fenglan couldn't just stand by and watch her family members get into trouble; she had to be careful.
Song Fenglan came to join the army because she had thought of this point; the situation was going to be chaotic for a while, and she was afraid that something bad might really happen.
Song Fenglan glanced at Qin Zihang, who was diligently writing beside her. It's always better to be careful. The child is still so young; he doesn't understand those things. Adults need to be mindful and not let those things affect him.
"Okay." Qin Yizhou nodded. "Be careful at work and on the road."
"I'm fine here." Song Fenglan's biggest worry was her son.
After such a major incident, many people are becoming cautious. Some still want to participate in those actions, but most do not.
Everyone remained tense until after National Day, when everything settled down and the situation became clear. Everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, and people in the streets and alleys were in good spirits; the special era was coming to an end.
Those who were persecuted in the past will be gradually exonerated. Is this a genuine exoneration, or a large-scale one?
The streets of the capital were bustling. Mr. and Mrs. Song, who had been staying home for a while, finally went out for a walk. Everyone's spirits had changed significantly, and everything was moving in a positive direction.
Mr. Song's eyes were red; from now on, they wouldn't have to live in fear anymore. After the Song family was exonerated, Mr. Song returned to the capital. He would often wake up in the middle of the night, always worried that someone would come into his room and drag him away, or that someone would criticize and denounce him. He felt insecure.
The scenes from the past seem as vivid as if they happened just yesterday.
"Everything is getting better," said Song's mother.
"Yes." Mr. Song walked with Mrs. Song, his tone relaxed. "Buy a roast chicken."
After Song's parents returned to the capital, they bought meat less often, fearing they would attract unwanted attention. Even though the national leadership said the Song family were pillars of the nation, no one could guarantee what would happen next.
Now, Mr. Song felt as if the mountain that had been weighing him down had been lifted, making him feel much lighter, unlike before when he was always worried about those things.
“Buy it,” said Song’s mother. “Don’t say one roast chicken, two roast chickens are fine too.”
"Then... let's buy three roast chickens," said Mr. Song. "There are children at home, let them eat their fill."
"Okay." Mother Song had no objections. Her grandchildren were born on a farm; they hadn't had a good life and had suffered a lot. Mother Song also planned to let them eat more, but she didn't know how Song Fenglan was doing.
Now, some people are being rehabilitated one after another, but there's a sequence to it; it's not something that can be done overnight. There's a time frame involved. Even after rehabilitation, some subsequent issues may still be affected, and these effects won't be eliminated in a short period.
Qin's sister-in-law's family wasn't well-off. The Tian family were workers, and during that turbulent era, Tian's father participated in the struggle sessions against others and ransacked other people's homes. Tian's mother sometimes went with him, and she would hide valuable items and take them home. They would take a little from one family and a little from another, and no one dared to say anything; they could only let the Tian family take what they wanted.
Father Tian suddenly lost all her energy, especially after learning about some policies that meant those she had offended were coming back. Those people were no longer considered problematic by their class background; how could Father Tian possibly be happy?
Not to mention the neighbors nearby, Tian's father had also offended some neighbors in the past. In those years, there were too many people like Tian's father and Shi Guilan. The evil of human nature was on full display. Those who were poor could not bear to see others living in wealth or being educated. They would arbitrarily fabricate charges to bring people down.
Tian's father was reported for having a relative who was a spy and had even traveled to the other side of the strait. He was investigated, and although nothing came of it in the end, he was terrified.
It wasn't Tian's father who ran away; it was his uncle. In those war-torn years, many people lost contact; who would know what had happened? Tian's father insisted he knew nothing about it, and since not everyone was malicious, his colleagues didn't speak ill of him but told the truth. Those colleagues originally didn't know anything about those events; they only knew that Tian's father was generally hardworking.
With such a big incident, Sister-in-law Qin naturally had to go to her parents' home to comfort her mother.
"Dad," Sister-in-law Qin said indignantly, "it's not your fault. Uncle going there is not something you can decide. How could they fire you and stop you from working?"
The father was the backbone of the family, and his sudden loss of work had an impact on the family.
The company told Mr. Tian that he was over fifty years old and should retire early. Mr. Tian couldn't say no, so he had to agree. Mr. Tian had originally planned to leave his job to his family so that they could take over, but now the company was dismissing him without offering his child a replacement.
Mr. Tian did suggest that his son take over the job, but the company leader still refused. Mr. Tian could only slink back home, giving up on the job altogether.
Sister-in-law Qin thought that with such a thing happening to her own family, how could she hold her head high in her husband's family?
Earlier, Sister-in-law Qin was making fun of Song Fenglan, saying that Song Fenglan's family background was bad, that Qin's parents didn't want Qin Yizhou to marry Song Fenglan, and that she had swallowed a lot of things.
Sister-in-law Qin really does resemble Mr. and Mrs. Tian; they are indeed family. Mr. and Mrs. Tian took a lot of things when they raided other people's homes, and Sister-in-law Qin swallowed the things her husband's family gave to Song Fenglan. The whole family is so greedy.
"Is there any other way?" Sister-in-law Qin asked.
"There's nothing we can do," said Father Tian. "Let's leave it at that."
"Is this the end?" Sister-in-law Qin said. "How can it end like this? After something like this happened, do you know how my in-laws will laugh at me when they find out?"
Sister-in-law Qin felt like she had become a clown, even though she was the one with the best family background. Now that her own family was in trouble, she couldn't say anything bad about Song Fenglan anymore, nor could she say that Song Fenglan's family background was problematic; the problem lay with her own family.
"Is there some misunderstanding here? Could it be that Uncle was forcibly taken away?" Sister-in-law Qin said. "Do they know about this? So many years have passed, and we haven't had any contact with Uncle or corresponded with him."
From as far back as she can remember, Sister-in-law Qin knew absolutely nothing about her uncle. She now wished he didn't exist; he had brought trouble upon her family.
"It's no use," the farmer sighed.
"I told you before to be careful and not to offend so many people." Mother Tian poured Father Tian a glass of water. "Now look what's happened..."
"Mom." Sister-in-law Qin looked at Mother Tian again.
"Why don't you go back and talk to your husband and your father-in-law, and see if they can do anything?" Tian's mother said. "We are, after all, in-laws, your husband's parents-in-law. Could they help us out?"
"..." Sister-in-law Qin remained silent for a while.
“Go back and tell them,” Mother Tian said again. “Didn’t they used to say our family was quite good?”
“That was before,” said Sister-in-law Qin, “not now.”
Things were different now. Sister-in-law Qin was in a terrible mood. First, her in-laws found out what she had done, and now her family was facing these troubles. Misfortunes never come singly. Sister-in-law Qin felt that God was deliberately tormenting her. She didn't think she had done anything wrong, so why was God playing such a cruel trick on her?
When Sister-in-law Qin returned home, she asked Brother Qin for help, but he refused.
"It's better that Dad doesn't have a job; he can retire earlier."
"Get some rest." Brother Qin lay on the bed, not wanting to talk about it. "My dad retired early and is staying home to recuperate, isn't that good enough?"
“Your dad has a lot of retirement pension, but my dad doesn’t have that much,” said Sister-in-law Qin. “He’s retired now, and he won’t be receiving any money for the next few years.”
Sister-in-law Qin was furious just thinking about it. Who on earth reported her own father? Sister-in-law Qin didn't suspect Song Fenglan. If Song Fenglan wanted to report the Tian family, she would have done so long ago, not waiting until now. Besides, Song Fenglan wasn't even in the capital.
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; things change. Sister-in-law Qin felt ridiculous; everyone was going to laugh at her.
The matter concerning the Tian family was told to Song Fenglan by Song's mother over the phone.
During her holiday, Song Fenglan stayed at home when she received a phone call from her mother.
“This is retribution,” said Song’s mother. “She used to think you had a problem and bullied you, but now it’s her family’s fault.”
“Don’t worry about her. Yizhou and his older brother already divided the family property a while ago,” Song Fenglan said. “The Qin family gave us a house, Yizhou’s parents will be supported by his older brother, and the rest will also go to his older brother. I have no objection, there’s no need to fight for those things.”
“There’s no need to fight for it,” said Song’s mother. “How much does the Qin family really have?”
The Song family is wealthy, and their lives will be even better after those items are returned.
“Your father and I will give you a house, and we also need to prepare a dowry for you. Before, when we were on the farm, we didn’t have any money or cash, so we couldn’t prepare a dowry for you,” said Song’s mother. “Your sister-in-law also said that she wanted to prepare more things for you, not too little. The Qin family didn’t give you a bride price, so we still have to give you a dowry. Besides, Yizhou did a good job, so it can be considered that he gave you a bride price himself.”
Normally, the groom's parents prepare the betrothal gifts, and Qin's sister-in-law's betrothal gifts were prepared by Qin's parents. This means that Qin's parents prepared betrothal gifts for Qin's sister-in-law, but not for Song Fenglan.
The Song family didn't expect Qin's parents to pay the betrothal gift. So many years had passed, whether or not to pay it was no longer important. If the Qin family did pay, they could have something to say later, so it was better not to think about it.
"I can never have too many houses. You can give me whatever you want, I'll take it." Song Fenglan didn't stand on ceremony with her parents. When she was very young, her family had servants, and they were truly well-off. It was just a pity that they encountered a special era, and something happened to the family, which led to them living a hard life.
The Qin family didn't tell Qin Yizhou about Qin's sister-in-law's situation, perhaps because they were embarrassed to say so. Qin's sister-in-law had already given her a dowry, and had even allowed her to gain a considerable advantage.
After hanging up the phone with her mother, Song Fenglan told Qin Yizhou about her sister-in-law's situation; she didn't intend to keep it to herself.
The two slept in the same room, which naturally led to further intimacy, moving them beyond a mere formal marriage. Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou's relationship deepened. The weather wasn't particularly hot yet, and sometimes Song Fenglan would wake up to find herself in Qin Yizhou's arms, unaffected by the heat. In summer, she would have been awakened by the heat long ago.
"Since Mom and Dad didn't say anything, we'll pretend we don't know," Qin Yizhou said.
“Well, I didn’t even think about calling them. If I were someone who liked to complain, I wouldn’t have been bullied like this by your sister-in-law,” Song Fenglan said. “I just hope your sister-in-law will calm down. The family property has been divided, and now this has happened again. Nobody should say that anyone’s class background is problematic.”
Song Fenglan didn't originally look down on Sister-in-law Qin much, but Sister-in-law Qin treated her badly and cheated her so much that it's no big deal for Song Fenglan to look down on Sister-in-law Qin a little now.
“Don’t pay any attention to her,” Qin Yizhou said. “If we go back to the capital and get the house keys, those things are none of our business.”
"Do you really think so?" Song Fenglan raised an eyebrow.
"The eldest brother is the eldest son, and they also have the eldest grandson. With their abilities, how could they not handle those matters?" Qin Yizhou's lips curled slightly, his face full of sarcasm.
Brother Qin considers himself the eldest son, so let him handle those matters. Anyway, Qin Yizhou doesn't intend to get involved; he's just glad he didn't kick someone when they're down.
The chubby woman next door made a panda for Zhang Xiaohu, but this panda was completely different from the panda that Song Fenglan sat on. Zhang Xiaohu was so disgusted by how ugly that panda was that he cried.
"Waaah." Zhang Xiaohu sat in the yard and cried for a while. He looked at the panda his mother had made and thought, "No, it's too ugly."
The plump woman sewed it from white and black cloth, stuffing it with old clothes. The outside wasn't fluffy, and the inside wasn't as fluffy either. The plump woman thought it was enough for her son to have this panda to play with, but her younger son wasn't satisfied and sat there crying.
When Gao Xiuxiu saw Zhang Xiaohu crying, she learned it was because of the panda. While chatting with Aunt Pang at the door, she said, "Why don't you just ask Qin Tuan's family to make one for you? We're neighbors, it's good to help each other out occasionally."
“No way,” Sister-in-law Pang refused. “Fenglan has already helped our family a lot. It took Fenglan a lot of time to finish making Zihang’s panda. Let’s not bother her and stop trying to take advantage of her.”
The plump woman looked at Gao Xiuxiu's belly. Ever since Gao Xiuxiu became pregnant again, her temper had become much more flamboyant, not as low-key as before. Gao Xiuxiu, who wouldn't have said these things before, was now saying them.
Some women take advantage of their pregnancy to commit crimes.
“They’re neighbors, how can you say they’re taking advantage of us?” Gao Xiuxiu said. “You’ve helped them out, haven’t you?”
“That’s not how it works. Xiao Hu is still young. Today it’s a panda, tomorrow it’ll be something else,” said Sister Pang. “We can’t always make Feng Lan do it. Children are envious when they see others have things, and we can’t stop them from playing with them.”
Sister-in-law Pang didn't think Song Fenglan had done anything wrong; Song Fenglan had already done a very good job. Her own child wasn't Song Fenglan's child to begin with. Song Fenglan's family had fed Zhang Xiaohu quite a bit, and if you really thought about it, that food was worth a lot of money, while the things her family sent over were worthless.
If anyone has truly wronged us, it is our family who has wronged Song Fenglan's family.
Aunt Pang isn't blind or incapable of calculating; she often goes out to buy groceries and cook, so she knows the prices of those things. Song Fenglan is very kind to Zhang Xiaohu, sometimes even inviting Zhang Wen over for meals. Even though Zhang Wen doesn't go to play with Qin Zihang, he still gets to eat.
Such a neighbor is the best neighbor in the world. Fatty Sister feels that she is really lucky to have Song Fenglan as a neighbor.
"Is that so?" Gao Xiuxiu said. "I was thinking of asking you for help?"
"What kind of help?" the plump woman asked.
"I want you to knit a sweater for my unborn baby," Gao Xiuxiu said. "You know, my mother-in-law nags me about everything, so I don't want her to do anything. I can only ask you for help."
"I can knit a sweater for your child; you just need to buy the yarn," the plump woman agreed.
“I also want to find Comrade Song Fenglan. The clothes she makes are beautiful, and children love them,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “When her son goes to school, so many children are eyeing his schoolbag.”
“We can make simple clothes ourselves. For nice ones, that’s embroidery,” said the plump woman. “Embroidery is hard on the eyes and takes a lot of time, so you shouldn’t ask Fenglan to do it. Fenglan works during the day and only has a little time to spend with the children in the evening. You’re asking her to make nice clothes for your child instead of her own, what kind of behavior is that?”
“This…” Gao Xiuxiu did not expect her sister-in-law to say that. She thought her sister-in-law would go with her to talk to Song Fenglan.
Gao Xiuxiu had seen the clothes made by other military wives, and none of them were as beautiful as the clothes made by Song Fenglan. Things were fine before Qin Zihang started kindergarten, but once he did, many of the other children saw his schoolbag and clothes and were very envious, even clamoring to their parents for clothes as nice as his.
The embroidery, done by herself and not by someone else, was fine; no one could say Song Fenglan lived an overly extravagant life. But now, there's no need to say anything more; times have changed.
“I don’t have a job, but I can still knit sweaters for you. Fenglan works too hard; don’t tire her out. We should know our limits,” said the plump woman. “Don’t you think so?”
“Yes…” Gao Xiuxiu nodded reluctantly, “I will give my son something better.”
"Giving children better things depends on the parents," said the plump woman. "Look at my Zhang Xiaohu, look at Fenglan's Zihang. Different parents raise different children. You can't expect Zhang Xiaohu to be like Zihang. If you did, I'd go crazy. I can't do that. We need to know our own capabilities and do what we can. Don't you have another daughter? Why don't you knit her a sweater?"
“Yes, I’ll unravel some old sweaters and knit her one,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “By the way, do you still have any of your child’s old clothes? Could my daughter wear them?”
"Yes, there are," said the plump woman. "Those clothes are mostly geared towards boys."
"Children, whether it's a boy's clothes or a girl's clothes, as long as they have clothes to wear, that's good enough," Gao Xiuxiu said. She didn't think about making more new clothes for her daughter, nor did she think about letting her son wear her daughter's old clothes. What she wanted was for her son to wear new clothes.
Even though Gao Xiuxiu hadn't given birth to the child yet and didn't know the child's gender, she was already thinking that if the child was a boy, she would definitely treat her son better.
“Since you have so much, I’ll go and pack it up,” said the plump woman. “Children grow quickly, so we don’t really need to buy them clothes too often. But sometimes we still need to buy them a new outfit or two; kids love wearing new clothes.”
"Such a young child, how could she understand these things?" Gao Xiuxiu didn't take it seriously when she heard the fat woman say these words. A girl doesn't need to wear so many new clothes. Gao Xiuxiu thought that when she was a child, she didn't have many new clothes to wear either. She wore her older brother's and sister's old clothes. It was good enough to have clothes to wear. Some people didn't have any clothes to wear and could only hide at home, especially in winter.
In winter, the weather is cold, and without thick clothes, people can only stay at home, wrapped in quilts. Family members take turns going out wearing thick clothes, but the children easily tear their clothes, so if it weren't for chores, the parents would just let them stay at home.
Gao Xiuxiu once went to chop firewood in the yard on a very cold day, wearing only very thin clothes. She wanted to stay at home and not chop firewood, but her grandmother called her out, saying that all she knew how to do was hide under the covers and that she didn't know how to do chores. Gao Xiuxiu did a lot of work at her parents' home, and she continued to do those things after she married her husband.
"..." Fatty Sister did not respond to Gao Xiuxiu's words.
After a little thought, Fatty Sister-in-law knew what Gao Xiuxiu was thinking. Many people valued their sons more and didn't think about their daughters.
"It's so good that you have two sons, Fatty Sister-in-law, are you planning to have another one?" Gao Xiuxiu asked, this was the question she had been saying most often lately.
When Gao Xiuxiu met other military wives, she always liked to ask: "Are you planning to have another child?"
If Gao Xiuxiu met a military wife who wasn't pregnant, she would say: "Get pregnant soon. Having a child makes the home feel different."
Gao Xiuxiu was so afraid that others wouldn't know she was pregnant that she made sure many people knew. Even though her belly wasn't very big yet, she would sometimes deliberately stick it out so others could see it.
Previously, some people said that since Gao Xiuxiu had given birth to a daughter, she should show her pregnant belly to let others know that she was pregnant again, and that this time her baby would definitely be a boy.
"It's up to fate," said the plump woman.
Gao Xiuxiu talked with the fat woman for a while. She still planned to go to Song Fenglan, just in case Song Fenglan was willing to make clothes for her child.
Song Fenglan let Gao Xiuxiu into the living room. Gao Xiuxiu's eyes lit up when she saw the fluffy panda in Qin Zihang's hand.
"Fenglan, can you make a panda like this for my son?" Gao Xiuxiu asked. "Oh, and make two more nice outfits like the one your son is wearing. I'll buy the fabric."
"No, I'm busy." Song Fenglan was speechless. If they weren't neighbors, she wouldn't have let Gao Xiuxiu in.
Gao Xiuxiu speaks without thinking; she just blurts things out.
"Is that not allowed?" Gao Xiuxiu frowned. "I won't let you do it for free. If there's any leftover fabric, I'll give you all the scraps."
Song Fenglan was speechless and almost cried at Gao Xiuxiu's words. What kind of person was she? Did she think her family cared so much about those scraps?
“No!” Song Fenglan said, “I don’t have time to do it. You have your own hands, so do it yourself.”
"I have to go to work, and I'm pregnant, I..."
"Do you think I don't have to go to work? Don't you think I'm working hard?" Song Fenglan rolled her eyes.
"If you can't do it yourself, go to the store and buy a ready-made one." Qin Yizhou couldn't help but say. Did this person come to his house just to make Song Fenglan a seamstress?
When Qin Yizhou was in the army, his superiors even asked him to do more housework, telling him not to let Song Fenglan do those things. The superiors' meaning was clear: there were several outstanding people like Qin Yizhou in the army, but very few people as smart as Song Fenglan who could develop new fighter jets.
It's one thing for Song Fenglan to do those things for her own son, but if she has to do those things for other people's children, will she ever have time to rest?
“If it’s inconvenient for you to talk to Xudong, I will. A man should earn money to support his family, not let his wife beg outside.” Qin Yizhou didn’t care whether Gao Xiuxiu was in a good mood or not.
“This is my mom.” Qin Zihang rolled his eyes. “Auntie, you’re so weird. You’re your child’s mother, why would you ask my mom to help your child?”
Qin Zihang was unhappy. "I've said it so many times, this is my mother. Brother Xiaohu knows, Auntie, why don't you know?"
"I……"
"Auntie, you're not tired? I'm exhausted," Qin Zihang said. "Could you let me rest for a bit?"
Gao Xiuxiu couldn't sit down. Before she could even warm her bottom, she got up again. "I'll let my mother-in-law do it."
Gao Xiuxiu originally wanted to say: "Neighbors, it's such a small thing, why won't you help me out?"
But Gao Xiuxiu wasn't in her own home; she was in Song Fenglan's home. Since no one else was willing to help, she had to find a way on her own.
After leaving Song Fenglan's house, Gao Xiuxiu turned and went to Fatty's house. Gao Xiuxiu told Fatty what Song Fenglan and her family of three had said, and Fatty held back her laughter.
Serves you right!
Fatty Sister thought that she had already told Gao Xiuxiu not to go to Song Fenglan to do those things, but Gao Xiuxiu still insisted on going.
“It’s not Qin’s fault. He’s just worried about his wife,” said the plump woman. “Don’t we women all hope that men will treat us better and care about us more? You don’t know how hard Fenglan works to make those clothes. Embroidery, stitch by stitch, takes a lot of time. If she embroiders too much, her eyes will go blind. Didn’t you just say that children’s clothes just need to be wearable?”
Gao Xiuxiu certainly knew that as long as a child's clothes were wearable, that was indeed what she said. But when Gao Xiuxiu thought that the child in her belly might be a son, she wanted to do even better.
“My child… might be a son.” Gao Xiuxiu hoped that her sister-in-law could understand her.
“You’re not having a baby for Fenglan,” the plump woman said bluntly.
"..." Gao Xiuxiu looked at her fat sister-in-law with a hint of resentment.
"Although we're all neighbors, we're not relatives after all," said the plump woman.
“There’s a saying that goes, ‘A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative,’” Gao Xiuxiu said.
"That's true, but you're not their only neighbor," the plump woman said. "That's enough. By the way, don't you want to go back and rest?"
The plump woman saw Gao Xiuxiu off at the door; she didn't want to say those things to Gao Xiuxiu.
So what if they're pregnant? Does that mean they've never been pregnant or given birth before?
Aunt Pang really didn't understand where Gao Xiuxiu's arrogance came from. Fortunately, Gao Xiuxiu didn't speak ill of others like Shi Guilan, but such behavior was still unacceptable. Gao Xiuxiu always said that Grandma Fang was stingy and favored boys over girls, but in reality, Gao Xiuxiu was no less so. After Gao Xiuxiu became pregnant, she paid less attention to her daughter. Aunt Pang noticed that Gao Xiuxiu's daughter's clothes were very dirty, and no one had helped the child change her clothes.
Before Gao Xiuxiu became pregnant, she would change her daughter's clothes more often. It's normal for children to get their clothes dirty, and Gao Xiuxiu didn't mind before, but now she does.
Sometimes, when Fatty was standing in the yard, she would hear Gao Xiuxiu standing there saying to the girl: "You're about to have a younger brother, and you're still so dirty. I'll let you die of filth."
Then, Gao Xiuxiu refused to change the child's clothes; the sleeves were left wet and dirty. Gao Xiuxiu also said that the child shouldn't be spoiled too much, and that she was doing this for the child's own good. She herself had never had such a good life when she was a child; her life was extremely miserable.
After Gao Xiuxiu left, Fatty Sister-in-law didn't rush to go next door to talk to Song Fenglan.
The fat woman went back into the house and talked to her husband, Zhang Chenghai, about Gao Xiuxiu.
“They treat Fenglan like a free tailor, a free embroiderer,” the plump woman said. “Mothers with children bring their kids over, asking Fenglan to make clothes and schoolbags, but Fenglan refuses them all. Gao Xiuxiu lives next door, how could she not know? She even asked, she shouldn’t have asked.”
“They value this child very much.” Zhang Chenghai saw Fang Xudong carefully helping Gao Xiuxiu several times, and Grandma Fang even steamed eggs for Gao Xiuxiu.
"We don't even know if it's a boy yet," the plump woman said. "She's like this; what if she has another daughter..."
"Don't tell anyone," Zhang Chenghai said.
“I didn’t say it in front of her, lest she blame me for cursing her to have a daughter if she gives birth to one,” said the fat woman. “I’m just saying it to you, but she’s acting like she’s carrying a son right now.”
"..." Zhang Chenghai didn't care whether Gao Xiuxiu was carrying a boy or a girl; it was none of his business.
Women of this era generally knew some needlework, and Fan Yani knew a little too, though not very well. Fan Yani inherited the original owner's needlework skills; even the best needlework from a country woman was just a matter of having denser stitches, nothing particularly special.
When Fan Yani went out, she heard Gao Xiuxiu say that she was going to make some things for the children, and that Fatty Sister-in-law was going to knit a sweater for them. She asked Fan Yani if she had time to knit one for her as well.
"I'm heavily pregnant and don't dare to handle needles and thread," Gao Xiuxiu said. "If you could help me, that would be great."
"I don't have time. I didn't bring a sweater with me, so I have to knit one for myself," Fan Yani refused directly.
Fan Yani could tell that Gao Xiuxiu valued the child in her belly very much. Even before the baby was born, Gao Xiuxiu had boasted about it countless times. Fan Yani thought that if it were her, she would never boast about it; what if she gave birth to a daughter?
Gao Xiuxiu originally thought that only Song Fenglan would refuse, but she didn't expect that Fan Yani would also refuse.
Fan Yani is a time traveler, and she vehemently dislikes Gao Xiuxiu's patriarchal behavior. What's wrong with girls? What's wrong with girls? And when the children grow up, boys might not be as filial as girls.
Gao Xiuxiu didn't ask Fan Yani any more questions, said a few words briefly, and left. Gao Xiuxiu was afraid that if Fan Yani continued to refuse, she would really lose face.
"What kind of person is he?" Fan Yani complained to Yue Hongwei when she got back.
“Didn’t I refuse to knit a sweater for Gao Xiuxiu’s unborn child? She even said I was cold-hearted, just like Fenglan,” Fan Yani said. “Is she crazy? She asked others for help, but it wasn’t an emergency, so why should they help? I’m okay, I don’t have a job, but Sister-in-law Fenglan does. Sister-in-law Fenglan works at a research institute. Does Gao Xiuxiu know how important Sister-in-law Fenglan’s job is?”
Gao Xiuxiu was practically jumping on Fan Yani's sore spots. Fan Yani respected soldiers and researchers. She especially disliked those who constantly criticized researchers, saying things like, "Researchers ride in luxury cars. If researchers don't ride in luxury cars, who will?"
Gao Xiuxiu knew perfectly well that Song Fenglan worked at the research institute, yet she still bothered Song Fenglan with these trivial matters.
Fan Yani also envied Qin Zihang's panda. She wasn't a child, but she also liked that plush toy and the clothes Song Fenglan made. Without considering that her husband had a good relationship with Qin Yizhou, Fan Yani shamelessly asked Song Fenglan to make her one.
“What kind of clothes can’t she wear? It’s not like they’re tattered and can’t cover anything up,” Fan Yani said. “If all else fails, she can buy some fabric and sew it herself. It might look a little ugly, but it’ll be wearable. If a mother can’t make clothes for an unborn child herself, she has to find someone else to do it, but that depends on who it is.”
"You don't like her?" Yue Hongwei asked.
“I don’t like it,” Fan Yani said. “People need to distinguish between what is important and what is urgent.”
In her past life, Fan Yani received a lot of patriotic education. She wasn't one of those people who had nothing better to do than complain about their country. It's normal for one's country to have shortcomings; nothing is perfect.
“I’m not trying to be mean, but we are indeed not as good as Sister Fenglan,” Fan Yani said. “If there is any danger, even if it is life-threatening, I will stand in front of Sister Fenglan.”
“You…” Yue Hongwei never expected Fan Yani to say such a thing.
“I’ve heard that Sister Fenglan’s uncle sacrificed his life for the country,” Fan Yani said. “If Sister Fenglan’s uncle were still alive, our country’s science and technology would definitely be even better. Intelligence and knowledge are inherited from families with a long tradition of learning. There are many famous families where generations of people are outstanding. Their genes are good, and they have high talent in certain areas, which is unmatched by ordinary people. If Sister Fenglan could have done more research, that would be wonderful. To be honest, among all these military wives, I admire Sister Fenglan the most.”
When Fan Yani spoke of Song Fenglan, her eyes were filled with admiration. Fan Yani even felt that she shouldn't have time-traveled; instead, she should have let the researchers who died from overwork or those who died of old age time-travel, so that they could come and build a parallel universe's motherland.
As for herself, she doesn't understand high technology, so she reads novels, cooks home-style dishes, and does simple jobs.
Fan Yani felt she couldn't make a significant impact in this era. She married simply to live a stable life, not to achieve great things. She truly couldn't achieve such success. The original owner of this body hadn't even graduated from elementary school. Fan Yani had attended university in her previous life, but that was in her past life. In this life, without a diploma, it wouldn't be easy for her to become a teacher.
If the college entrance examination is reinstated next year, Fan Yani plans to take it, just to get a diploma. With a diploma, she can do whatever job she wants later.
"Did you tell your sister-in-law?" Yue Hongwei asked.
"No." Fan Yani shook her head. "Sister-in-law Fenglan is so busy. She finally has a day off. Why would I bother her? She should get some rest."
"You're absolutely right." Yue Hongwei looked at Fan Yani with newfound respect. "You're quite perceptive."
“Of course, this is the simplest one.” Fan Yani nodded. “If you don’t even understand this, you don’t deserve to live. You’re just a freeloader.”
In the capital, Aunt Qin, this opportunist, has recently been dedicated to making things difficult for Sister-in-law Qin. Even when Mr. and Mrs. Qin give more things to Brother Qin and Sister-in-law Qin, Aunt Qin still has something to say. Aunt Qin believes that Mr. and Mrs. Qin know they have offended Song Fenglan, and that they are worried that Song Fenglan will not be willing to support them in their old age, which is why they are trying to give more things to Brother Qin and Sister-in-law Qin.
"The Tian family kept this from us for so long," Aunt Qin cried to her mother, her eyes red and swollen. "They even had the nerve to say that Fenglan's family background was bad, and it really was. Fenglan's uncle died for the country, and your eldest sister's uncle betrayed the country."
"..." Qin's mother is also very upset. Her daughter-in-law, whom she once valued highly, has become like this. She feels like the sky is falling.
But what can be done? The eldest son and daughter-in-law have been married for many years and have a child.
"Fenglan's family is upright and honest, yet they're unwilling to talk about their family's sacrifices. But your family back home, they've hidden such an important matter," Aunt Qin said. "When people ask me if my nephew's wife is really from a spy's family, how am I supposed to answer that?"
"No need to answer," Qin's mother sighed.
“I don’t want to answer at all,” Aunt Qin said. “It’s shameful, so shameful. I used to think she was alright, but her family members are no good either. They’re all cowards, traitors, no good at all.”
"My family is no good, but you're a good one?" Sister-in-law Qin came over seeking help from her parents, and since the front door was ajar, she walked right in. Just as she reached the living room doorway, she heard her aunt's words, "Aunt, I have no grudge against you. You've wronged me so many times lately, isn't that enough?"
"Did I trick you? It was clearly your Tian family who tricked our Qin family!" Aunt Qin said. "Do you think your family didn't know about those things? Don't say they didn't know. Such a big thing, you couldn't possibly have been completely unaware. You deliberately concealed it. You have a bad class background, yet you still blame others and won't let Fenglan into the family. Someone like you is not worthy of being our Qin family's daughter-in-law!"
"You..." Sister-in-law Qin was furious.
"Your man should divorce you!" Aunt Qin wasn't Qin's mother; she wouldn't have to live at the mercy of Sister-in-law Qin in her old age. She had her own children. Aunt Qin felt disgusted thinking about how she had sided with Sister-in-law Qin before. Sister-in-law Qin had deceived her and caused her to make a terrible mistake.
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