Chapter 93 At that moment, when they were all in cahoots, they were filled with despair.
Song Fenglan didn't expect Tang Lu's friend to look for her. What do you mean by "only relative"? No, Tang Lu has other relatives, but they're not here.
"Get out of the way," Song Fenglan said coldly.
“She is sick and in the hospital,” Jian Lili emphasized.
Tang Lu didn't let Jian Lili go to see Song Fenglan; Jian Lili had her own reasons. Jian Lili thought that since Song Fenglan was so powerful, if others knew that Song Fenglan was Tang Lu's cousin, and Song Fenglan treated Tang Lu better, perhaps Tang Lu would be able to do even better. Women pilots didn't easily receive recognition; many important missions were assigned to male pilots.
Jian Lili clearly sensed this; she knew Tang Lu didn't want to see Song Fenglan. But Jian Lili wanted to try; if Tang Lu could do better, maybe she could too.
“If she’s sick, then she should see a doctor,” Song Fenglan said. “I’m not a doctor, I can’t help her.”
“You can meet her,” Jane Lili said. “She has worked very hard all these years.”
“Who doesn’t work hard?” Song Fenglan said. There is never a shortage of hardworking people in this world.
Jian Lili watched helplessly as Song Fenglan left. She wanted to go after her, but was stopped. Jian Lili didn't chase after her, afraid of making things worse.
Then, Jian Lili went to the hospital to visit Tang Lu, who looked much more haggard.
“I just went to see your cousin, hoping she could come and check on you, but she wouldn’t come, saying there are doctors at the hospital,” Jian Lili said.
“She’s right.” Tang Lu frowned. She hadn’t expected Jian Lili to go to Song Fenglan. “You shouldn’t have gone to her. Our family has wronged their family. It’s not her fault that she treated me this way; our Tang family was in the wrong first. If you go there and she doesn’t come, it will make her seem heartless.”
Tang Lu immediately saw the problem; she couldn't ruin Song Fenglan's reputation. "You really shouldn't have done that."
"I just want to know that she is, after all, your cousin, I..."
“You don’t know what happened. Our family wronged her. We didn’t help her when she was going through the most difficult time, when she was going through the most difficult time,” Tang Lu said. “Back then, whenever I saw her, I would either hide or ignore her. I never treated her like my cousin. I was never kind to her, so how could I expect her to be kind to me?”
“This…” Jian Lili looked at Tang Lu.
"I know you mean well, but don't do this again," Tang Lu said.
“She might not come here on business trips anymore,” Jian Lili said. “Your cousin is so capable, if…”
“She’s a researcher, and I’m a pilot,” Tang Lu said. “We belong to different departments, and I’ve never thought of relying on her. I don’t even rely on her anymore. You… Lili, it’s true that it’s a bit tough for us women to be pilots, but I believe we can do it well.”
"Are you getting married?" Jian Lili asked. "My parents want me to find someone, get married and have children as soon as possible. If I get pregnant, I won't be able to go to heaven anymore. After giving birth, my body will be weak and I'll have to take care of it. By the time I come back, several years will have passed."
Jian Lili was impatient. She felt that it was incredibly difficult for women to become pilots; they had all sorts of things to deal with. Not only did they face pressure from within themselves, but their families were also urging them to accomplish this important life event as soon as possible.
“I feel like I haven’t been working for very long…” Jian Lili said, “If I go back to get married and have children, I’m afraid I won’t be able to continue in this line of work.”
In other industries, pregnancy and childbirth are manageable. But these women have to fly, so they need to be in excellent physical condition. You see, women menstruate every month and lose blood; excessive blood loss can easily cause dizziness. If you feel dizzy in the air, that's very bad; it could lead to something serious.
Jian Lili and others all have to eat breakfast in the morning and eat three meals a day on time to try to avoid hypoglycemia.
"..." Tang Lu pursed her lips. Not only did Jian Lili have this idea, but Tang Lu did too. "We can get married a little later."
"I'll get married eventually, even if it's a little later," Jian Lili said.
“I can still be a pilot even after having a child. It doesn’t matter if I miss a year or two in between,” Tang Lu said. “As long as I’m not acting like a fool in the air, it’s fine.”
"Pregnancy makes you stupid for three years..." Jian Lili sniffed. "I was wrong today. I shouldn't have gone to see your cousin. I just... I'm not at ease. I feel like I can see the end of my road ahead. I'm afraid we can't stay here forever, I'm afraid..."
“Training a pilot requires a lot of manpower and resources,” Tang Lu said. “The country trains us not just to use us for a year or two. Don’t worry too much, just treat us like we are working in an ordinary unit.”
“I don’t want to worry, but it’s all because of my parents. When they call me, they keep creating age anxiety for me,” Jian Lili said. “I told them to wait a little longer, and they said that women my age are already married and have children, and I don’t even have a boyfriend yet.”
"Don't overthink it." Tang Lu held Jian Lili's hand. "Have you forgotten what the instructors told us? We need to have strong mental fortitude, we can't be easily swayed, and we can't always listen to what others say. Those words, those things, are very superficial. If we can't understand this, how can we continue to stay here? We promised to become pilots together, to bring glory to ourselves, and to..."
Set an example for other women.
"Hmm." Jian Lili nodded. "Are you blaming me? Blaming me for going to see your cousin?"
“You did it for me, I don’t blame you, but don’t let it happen again,” Tang Lu said. “I don’t have the face to beg her, nor should I. What we do should be based on our own abilities, not on who we have connections with. Ascending to heaven is not easy; it requires rigorous training, and not just anyone can do it.”
"I understand," Jian Lili said. "This time, I misunderstood."
When Song Fenglan returned to her residence, she didn't visit Tang Lu in the hospital, nor did she ask anyone around her to visit Tang Lu in her place. If Tang Lu were exceptionally powerful, perhaps Song Fenglan would have gone to see her, thinking that Tang Lu might help her in the future. However, Tang Lu wasn't a particularly strong person, and Song Fenglan didn't need Tang Lu's help, so she didn't go.
No one else around Song Fenglan took it upon themselves to visit Tang Lu, nor did anyone talk much about Tang Lu to Song Fenglan.
After Song Fenglan came to Nancheng, Song's third aunt did not call Song Fenglan, nor did she specifically call Tang Lu.
Song Fenglan did not appear until Tang Lu was discharged from the hospital.
Tang Lu wasn't surprised; it was perfectly normal. This was the attitude Song Fenglan should have towards her. Song Fenglan owed the Tang family nothing.
After being discharged from the hospital, Tang Lu did not go to Song Fenglan, nor did she think of apologizing on behalf of Jian Lili, nor did she apologize for herself. If she went there, it would be superfluous and would clearly make things difficult for others.
Before returning to the capital, Song Fenglan went to see Madam Su again.
"Aunt, if you ever have time to visit the capital, you must come to my place," Song Fenglan said with a smile. "I have rooms there, you can stay at my place."
"I know, I'll go when I have time." Madam Su held Song Fenglan's hand, her expression kind and gentle. "Remember to keep in touch after you get back."
"Definitely, definitely." Song Fenglan nodded.
"I didn't even invite you to a meal before you're already going back," Mrs. Su said with a sigh.
“Eating isn’t the most important thing; what’s important is being able to see you all,” Song Fenglan said.
"Is it the evening train?" Mrs. Su asked.
“Yes, at night,” Song Fenglan said. “I can get some sleep in the car.”
“There are some steamed buns at home. I’ll put some eggs and sliced meat on them for you to take with you,” Madam Su said.
"Thank you for your trouble, Aunt." Song Fenglan didn't say no; it was Madam Su's way of showing her kindness.
During the time Ding Wenbo accompanied Song Fenglan on her business trip, he witnessed the attitude of the people at the Nancheng Research Institute towards Song Fenglan. Ding Wenbo couldn't help but wonder if Duan Yue had seen this, would Duan Yue be furious? What a great opportunity, wasted by Duan Yue, who deliberately rejected it.
After boarding the train, Ding Wenbo sat opposite Song Fenglan, and they slept in sleeper berths.
"Teacher." Ding Wenbo was still holding a book in his hand; he needed to review it later.
"I'm reading a book," Song Fenglan said.
"It's still early, let's take a look." There are still lights, so Ding Wenbo can take a look.
“Okay, go ahead and read.” Song Fenglan didn’t intend to read; she planned to lie down and rest for a bit.
These days, Song Fenglan has been busy with so many problems, working overtime to deal with them. She's exhausted, and whenever she has a spare moment, she closes her eyes to rest.
Ding Wenbo remained silent, quietly reading his book, carefully turning the pages to avoid making too much noise.
"Flip through the book if you want," Song Fenglan said with her eyes closed.
In her past life, Song Fenglan rarely dared to open a book when her mentor was resting. Now, on the train, the sound of turning pages was nowhere near as loud as the train moving forward.
"Okay," Ding Wenbo said softly.
The assistant covered Song Fenglan with a blanket; the weather was still a bit cold, and they didn't want Song Fenglan to catch a cold.
Ding Wenbo looked out the window at the scenery. He was in a good mood and didn't feel tired at all.
Just then, Fatty Sister returned from outside; she had just gone out to buy some things. She learned that Song Fenglan had already left. She had originally planned to invite Song Fenglan to her house for dinner and had even gone to the research institute. Fortunately, the gatekeeper recognized Fatty Sister and knew that she and Song Fenglan had a good relationship, so he relayed the news that Song Fenglan had already returned home.
The fat woman was a little disappointed. She already knew that Song Fenglan didn't have that much time, but when she learned that Song Fenglan had gone back so quickly, she still thought about Song Fenglan.
"Did you see anyone?" Zhang Chenghai asked.
"Fenglan has gone back," said the plump woman. "She's really busy; she's never home."
“That’s how work is,” Zhang Chenghai said. “Before, when he was in Commando Qin’s unit, he was always on missions. In the years after he got married, he worked incredibly hard.”
“He did it for his family,” said the plump woman. “Qin Tuan is a good man, he knows how to care for his wife and children. They are both very hardworking people, and Zihang is like them. Look at Xiaohu and Xiaowen, they are just like you and me. They may not be very bright, but they work hard and their grades are not as good as Zihang’s.”
“That’s good, at least the child knows he needs to work hard,” Zhang Chenghai said. “You also said that the child is like both of us; his roots are in us.”
“Yes, the root of the problem lies with us, that’s why I didn’t say much about their faults,” the plump woman said. “Some people use bamboo strips to beat their children because they think the children are doing poorly in school. Does beating children really improve their grades?”
Sister-in-law Pang didn't think so. She said that no matter how much she hit them, it wouldn't make a difference. Some kids just don't like to study and they don't think about working hard. No matter what she said, it was useless.
“If we hit the kids when they’re a little older, they’ll remember it,” said the plump woman. “When we get old, they’ll bring up the old grievances.”
"..." Zhang Chenghai thought about it and realized that it might indeed be the case. "When it's time to fight, we still have to fight."
"After Zihang went back, Xiaohu was like a different person. He worked much harder and wasn't as naughty." Aunt Pang wasn't one to hit children. When the children behaved well, they would ask her for a reward. "After Fenglan's business trip this time, I don't know when she'll come back for another business trip."
“There might be another opportunity in the future,” Zhang Chenghai said. “She works at the research institute here first, and if there are any problems here, she will come back.”
"There are so many people in the research institute, it doesn't have to be Fenglan," the plump woman sighed. "We're lucky to be able to stay in Nancheng, we don't even dare to dream of the capital."
“I’ve always stayed in the southern part of the city,” Zhang Chenghai said.
Many people want to be transferred to the capital, but it's not something they can achieve just by wishing for it. Out of so many military units across the country, only the most outstanding individuals are selected for the capital.
Let alone Zhang Chenghai, even Qin Yizhou would find it difficult to be transferred back to the capital. Qin Yizhou's transfer back this time was due to a combination of factors. Zhang Chenghai envied Qin Yizhou, but he also knew that he could never be like Qin Yizhou.
Firstly, there's a significant gap between the two; secondly, Zhang Chenghai wasn't originally from the capital and doesn't have as many connections, while Qin Yizhou has the ability. If Qin Yizhou isn't transferred back to the capital, who will?
"Are you thinking about the capital?" Zhang Chenghai asked.
"Of course I want to, but it's just wishful thinking," said the plump woman. "I know what you're capable of. Didn't I say it before? We're lucky to be in Nancheng. If you think too much, you might stumble and end up with nothing."
"Mom, has Zihang's mom gone back yet?" Zhang Xiaohu ran up to his aunt.
"Yes, we went back," the plump woman replied.
"Oh, you're back so soon?" Zhang Xiaohu said. "I haven't even seen her yet. I was hoping she could pass on a message."
“You write a letter,” said the plump woman. “Your Aunt Fenglan is so busy, she won’t have time to pass on your message.”
"Alright," Zhang Xiaohu said helplessly. "I wonder how Zihang is doing now. Has he started school too?"
"School's starting, school's starting!" said the plump woman. "Children all over the country start school around the same time. Even if it's a little later, it won't be much later."
"Is it very cold in the north? Do you still have to study in such cold weather?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.
“No matter how cold it is, you have to study. You can’t not study,” said the plump woman. “Do you think you can just hide your hands in your pockets and not study when it’s cold?”
"No, I was just thinking about it," Zhang Xiaohu said.
“You can ask your brother Zihang in the letter and see how he’s doing in the capital,” said the plump woman.
"I will ask," Zhang Xiaohu said.
When Tang Lu learned that Song Fenglan had returned to the capital, she wasn't surprised. Song Fenglan had only come on a business trip, and Tang Lu hadn't expected her to come see her.
Actually, after Jian Lili went to see Song Fenglan, Tang Lu wondered if Song Fenglan would come to see her, a small hope in her heart. When Song Fenglan didn't come, Tang Lu was somewhat disappointed.
Even though I knew exactly what the outcome would be, I still held onto a sliver of hope.
"Unhappy?" Jian Lili lived with Tang Lu and sensed the change in Tang Lu's mood.
“No,” Tang Lu said.
"No, you're upset," Jian Lili said. "We've lived together for so long, don't I know you? What's on your mind?"
"No, really no," Tang Lu said.
"Are you homesick? If you are, give your family a call," Jian Lili said.
"I... my mom doesn't want to answer my calls. She wishes we would never bother her again." Tang Lu wanted to contact Aunt Song, but Aunt Song was always impatient whenever she tried.
Aunt Song was quite good to Tang Lu. If it weren't for the fact that Tang Lu had become a pilot, Aunt Song wouldn't have answered Tang Lu's calls.
Of all the children, Aunt Song valued Tang Lu the most because she felt Tang Lu still resembled a member of the Song family. Tang Shaotao and the others were exactly like their father, completely and utterly members of the Tang family.
“How could that be? When you called her, she answered, didn’t she? She talked to you, didn’t she?” Jian Lili said.
"Yes, but... she told me not to bother her too much," Tang Lu said.
“Look for yourself. If you ask me, your mother still cares about you,” Jian Lili said.
On the train, the people protecting Song Fenglan caught a pickpocket who was trying to steal her purse. Fortunately, the thief managed to keep it, as it contained some very important documents that Song Fenglan needed to take back to her research institute in the capital.
The train police took the thief away, and the people protecting Song Fenglan showed their identification to the police. Initially, the people protecting Song Fenglan did not show their identification, but the thief was making excuses, and Song Fenglan and the others naturally did not have much time to argue with him, so they showed their identification.
The thief just thought these sleeper berths were...
People might be sleeping, and they might not be paying attention to the bag. As long as you grab the bag when they're not looking, you can make off with the money inside. These thieves don't care about documents; they only care about the money. They'll just throw away the other files and data.
Whether it's a long-distance or short-distance train, there are all sorts of people on the train, and human traffickers and thieves are rampant.
"We still need to be careful," Ding Wenbo said. "I'll keep a close eye on things too."
“We do need to be careful,” Song Fenglan said. “But we shouldn’t be that unlucky as to have this happen again and again.”
“That’s still considered good,” the assistant said. “On trains going abroad, those people are even more terrifying; some even point guns directly at people.”
"You've been there?" Song Fenglan asked her assistant.
"I heard it from others," the assistant said. "It's still better to stay in China; it's relatively safer."
“Many people like to go abroad,” Song Fenglan said.
“I love China. I grew up here. I’m not good at foreign languages. When I go abroad, I have trouble communicating with people,” the assistant said. “Not to mention people from abroad, even among our own people, there is regional discrimination between people from different places, let alone people from abroad.”
The assistant was clear-headed. No matter how well foreigners lived, that was their life, not hers. If she went abroad, the situation would likely be different. She wasn't particularly outstanding; foreigners wouldn't possibly care about her.
“Technology is very advanced abroad,” Ding Wenbo said. “I’ve thought about going abroad before…”
Ding Wenbo looked at Song Fenglan; he was still thinking about becoming Song Fenglan's doctoral student.
“Some disciplines abroad are very strong, and if there is an opportunity, it is indeed worthwhile to go abroad and explore them,” Song Fenglan said. “But… even if you go abroad, you still have to come back and serve our motherland.”
"Of course." Ding Wenbo nodded vigorously. He didn't intend to never come back after going abroad. "Professor, can I still be your doctoral student?"
“If you can pass the exam, that’s good,” Song Fenglan said, adding, “You have the ability.”
Song Fenglan did not suppress Ding Wenbo; she acknowledged her student's abilities. Although Ding Wenbo's abilities were not yet very strong, it was already quite good for students of this era to reach his level.
"I will definitely take the exam to become your doctoral student," Ding Wenbo said firmly; he could not give up.
The group returned to the capital. Ding Wenbo took his luggage back to his dormitory. On his way there, he ran into Duan Yue, and the two of them went back together.
Ding Wenbo did not boast about his experiences in Nancheng in front of Duan Yue. It's better to be low-key; being too high-profile can easily upset people.
"Isn't Nancheng quite nice?" Duan Yue asked.
"It's alright." Ding Wenbo straightened his clothes. "It's always good to be able to go out and see the world."
“Indeed,” Duan Yue said. “And you don’t even need to pay.”
“I really didn’t contribute any money,” Ding Wenbo said.
It's important to understand that the school allocates a fixed amount of funding to each project team. Ding Wenbo was studying under Song Fenglan, who only had him as a student. Song Fenglan was capable and could apply for projects with sufficient funding, so she could still take Ding Wenbo along without him having to pay for it himself.
Some professors require students to pay for their own tuition because they lack sufficient funding.
Duan Yue had to pay for it himself; there was no other way, as his mentor's students' projects required funding.
“I told my teacher that I would apply to be her doctoral student later,” Ding Wenbo said. “My teacher said that as long as I can pass the exam, I will apply.”
Ding Wenbo realized that very few people knew how capable his advisor was; he guessed many were like Duan Yue, who didn't even apply to be Song Fenglan's graduate or doctoral students. It's likely that in the end, those who were admitted would become Song Fenglan's students through the university's arrangements, and it's uncertain whether anyone would refuse to be her student.
"..." Duan Yue didn't mention applying to be Song Fenglan's doctoral student; it's impossible for him to apply.
Duan Yue had made such a big scene at the dean's office that Song Fenglan would never accept him as a doctoral student. Duan Yue also had to consider his current advisor; he couldn't let his advisor think he was looking down on him.
Everyone needs a bit of luck to survive in this world, and Duan Yue felt that Ding Wenbo was extremely lucky.
When Song Fenglan returned home, Qin Zihang came home from school and stared at his mother.
"Haven't seen you for a while, don't you recognize your mother?" Song Fenglan asked. "Didn't you just call me 'Mom'?"
Song Fenglan took out the things she had brought for Qin Zihang; she still remembered Qin Zihang.
"Mom, have you seen Brother Xiaohu?" Qin Zihang hadn't forgotten Zhang Xiaohu. "Was he happy when he saw those things?"
“He wasn’t home when I arrived,” Song Fenglan said. “He must have been very happy; it was something you gave him.”
"Ah, you haven't seen Brother Xiaohu?" Qin Zihang said, "You've been gone for so many days..."
“I’m here to do some work, not to see your brother Xiaohu. I can’t just wait at your brother Xiaohu’s house all the time just to see him,” Song Fenglan said.
“That’s right, you can’t keep waiting for Brother Tiger.” Qin Zihang said, “Mom, Dad hasn’t washed the sheets in a long time, he only washed them two days ago.”
"When your mother comes back, she can sleep on the quilt that has been aired out, isn't that great?" Qin Yizhou thought that if he had come back any later, his son would have messed with him again.
Knowing that Song Fenglan was coming back, Qin Yizhou specially took the quilt out to air it and washed the sheets. Qin Yizhou didn't care how he slept; his wife was the important thing.
"Have you aired your quilt yet?" Song Fenglan asked her son.
"Let's put them out in the sun," Qin Yizhou said. "The weather's nice, let's take them all out to air them."
Qin Yizhou couldn't possibly have forgotten about his son; he was the one who carried the blankets out to air them in his son's room.
"Yes, it was aired out," Qin Zihang said. "Aired-out blankets are warmer."
"It's time to eat," Sun Mei said, walking over to remind Song Fenglan and the others to start their meal.
"Let's eat first," Qin Yizhou said. "We can clean up these things after we finish eating."
"Okay." Song Fenglan clapped her hands; she was also a little hungry.
Song Fenglan slept on the train, but it wasn't as comfortable as sleeping at home. She preferred sleeping at home, where it was quiet and she felt safe. Even with someone watching over her, Song Fenglan didn't sleep very soundly on the train. Especially after the theft incident, she became even more vigilant about her bag.
Song Fenglan breathed a sigh of relief when they returned safely.
During Song Fenglan's business trip to Nancheng, Qin's mother looked for Qin Yizhou several times. She even went to Qin Zihang's school gate, intending to take him to the Qin family home. Qin Zihang, however, was not going to listen to his mother. When she tried to pull him away, he yelled. His mother claimed to be his grandmother, but Qin Zihang denied it.
The school security personnel naturally listened to Qin Zihang, given his advanced age and the fact that they hadn't seen his mother come to pick him up. Then, Qin's mother was taken to the police station. Even though the police knew she was Qin Zihang's biological grandmother, they still assumed the child didn't want to be with her and that she might have done something wrong.
Qin Yizhou also went to the police station to ensure that his mother could leave smoothly.
Because of this incident, Qin's mother returned home and said she was sick, and she has been sick for many days.
At the dinner table, Song Fenglan stopped what she was doing when she heard Qin Yizhou and Qin Zihang talking about Qin's mother.
"What does your mother want to do?" Song Fenglan asked.
"She probably wanted Zihang to go over there and get closer to them," Qin Yizhou said. "She thought that if she went to pick up Zihang, Zihang would come with her."
"I'm not going with her, Little Red Riding Hood, Granny Wolf." Qin Zihang held his bowl; he couldn't possibly be fooled by his grandmother.
Song Fenglan thought to herself that Qin Zihang really knew how to talk. "You really can't go with her. If she comes looking for you again, you still can't go with her, understand?"
"I know," Qin Zihang said. "I disliked her when I was very young, I really disliked her, and I still don't like her now."
“If you don’t like them, you don’t like them,” Song Fenglan said. “You can continue to dislike them.”
“Mom is still sick, but she’s probably faking it,” Qin Yizhou said. “I didn’t let Zihang go over; I’ll go check on her tomorrow.”
“Okay, you go by yourself.” Song Fenglan nodded. “I have to go to work tomorrow.”
"Didn't you rest?" Qin Yizhou asked.
"I have things to do and can't rest," Song Fenglan said.
On the first day of the new year, Qin Yizhou brought fruit to visit his mother, but he didn't offer any money. It had been agreed upon in writing when the property was divided, so Qin Yizhou couldn't possibly give his mother money for her medical treatment.
Qin's mother wasn't actually sick; she was just pretending to be. She thought Qin Yizhou would bring Qin Zihang to see her, so she'd been faking it for days, even asking her second sister to come with Qin Yizhou. Her second sister said she was busy and they'd have to wait.
Qin
The second sister said that on purpose because she thought that Qin's mother might be faking illness.
"Where's Zihang?" Qin's mother looked behind Qin Yizhou. "Didn't he come?"
Qin's mother was still lying in bed and had not gotten up.
These past few days, You Yun has been bringing meals to Qin's mother, and Qin's mother has been eating in her room for several days.
"They didn't come," Qin Yizhou said.
"His own grandmother is sick, and he doesn't even come over?" Qin's mother said.
"The wolf is coming," Qin Yizhou said.
"What?" Qin's mother frowned.
"If you're sick, see a doctor," Qin Yizhou said. His mother's little problems didn't require Song Fenglan and her son to come. Qin Yizhou had already figured out his mother was faking illness before even arriving, but since she had been claiming to be ill for some time, he still had to come and check on her.
"Oh dear, my head hurts," Qin's mother said, feigning a headache. "Can't you let Zihang come and keep me company?"
“He’s a boy, and he’s still young, he can’t take care of you,” Qin Yizhou said. “If you want someone to take care of you, you can ask your older brother to hire someone for you, and have that person take care of you every day.”
"You...do you take me for one of those bourgeois types?" Qin's mother used to envy those who had servants, but after experiencing that special era, she felt that servants were only used by capitalists.
"Then there's nothing we can do," Qin Yizhou said. "It's your own body, you have to take care of it yourself."
"you……"
"Fenglan is back," Qin Yizhou said, noticing a noticeable change in his mother's expression.
"You did this on purpose, deliberately waiting for your wife to come back," Qin's mother said. "Couldn't you have brought Zihang over before your wife came back?"
“He’s still just a child; he can’t bear the weight of a chess piece,” Qin Yizhou said.
“I didn’t treat him as a pawn, he…”
"You want him and your precious grandson to support each other," Qin Yizhou said. "There's a big gap between our family and my brother's family. Zihang doesn't need his cousin's help; it's his cousin who needs his help. Some things lose their meaning when people talk about them."
Qin Yizhou really didn't want to talk about these things, as it would make him seem mean.
Qin Yizhou was greatly shocked by his mother's strange actions recently. What on earth was his mother up to?
Since that's the case, Qin Yizhou still needs to be more direct with his mother, telling her to stop pretending and stop bothering Qin Zihang.
“My elder brother never helped me. He stayed in the capital and worked in a relevant department. He got most of the family’s wealth,” Qin Yizhou said. “You all used up your connections for him. When I was out there, you all told me not to use family connections and not to talk about what Dad did in the past. That’s all in the past.”
Qin Yizhou did not mention those things while he was in the army, and Qin's father did not contact the army to take care of Qin Yizhou.
It's just that others know Qin Yizhou comes from the capital, and given his own abilities, some people will value him.
“Of course, I must admit that some of the people Dad knows may be able to help me,” Qin Yizhou said. “But… you all know the situation at home, how things are distributed, and who gets more. My son is a human being, not a slave.”
What era are we living in now? Nobody cares about the second son sacrificing for the eldest son anymore.
"I'm being quite polite with my words. If someone else had said them, they wouldn't have sounded so nice," Qin Yizhou said. "You say we're family, and it's better for family to talk to you than for others to say it, isn't it?"
"Get out, get out!" Qin's mother pointed to the door.
"Fine, I'll get out!" Qin Yizhou walked to the door and just happened to see Brother Qin.
Brother Qin didn't have much to do at work, so he didn't have to work overtime as often as before. Knowing Qin Yizhou was coming, he came over. Then, Brother Qin stood at his mother's door and eavesdropped for quite a while.
When Qin Yizhou opened the door to leave, Brother Qin tried to hide, but he failed and Qin Yizhou still saw him.
"Did you hear that?" Qin Yizhou asked.
"This..." Brother Qin looked embarrassed. He didn't expect Qin Yizhou to come out so quickly.
“Since I’ve heard you, I won’t repeat myself,” Qin Yizhou said. “My son is our precious treasure. Your son is your own responsibility.”
Just as Qin Yizhou was about to take another step, his older brother called out to his retreating figure, "Yizhou."
"Let's not even be able to remain brothers on the surface." Qin Yizhou glanced back at his elder brother Qin.
Brother Qin opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. It was heartbreaking to see his brothers like this.
After Qin Yizhou left, Qin's older brother went to Qin's mother's room.
"Eldest brother." As soon as Qin's mother saw her eldest brother, she glanced behind her. Seeing that Qin Yizhou didn't turn around, she simply got out of bed. "Did he make things difficult for you?"
"No," Brother Qin shook his head. "I just miss Yizhou when he was little."
When they were kids, Brother Qin and Qin Yizhou fought, but they generally helped each other and had a good relationship. I don't know when it started, but their relationship wasn't as good anymore.
“He was much better when he was a child,” Qin’s mother said. “If I had known he would be like this, I shouldn’t have given birth to him.”
"..." Brother Qin remained silent.
If they really had a choice, Brother Qin was afraid his parents would have preferred to have Qin Yizhou rather than him.
Li Hui, who was trafficked to the countryside, tried to escape many times, but failed each time. She was often locked in a room, and if she disobeyed, her supposed in-laws would beat her. After beating her, they would try to persuade her not to run away again.
“You deserved to be beaten. You’ve already married my son, why are you still running away?” the woman said. “You are my daughter-in-law. As a woman, you have to accept your fate. You’re not destined to stay in the city; you’re destined to be my daughter-in-law.”
The woman had also been trafficked here. She had a child and food to eat, so she stayed. Then, her son couldn't find a wife, so they went to buy women.
“I was just like you back then, but I ended up staying, and I’m doing just fine,” the woman said. “If you run away, you’ll only get beaten. If you don’t obey, it’s already a miracle that they haven’t broken your legs.”
"..." Li Hui huddled in the corner, her hair disheveled and her clothes dirty.
Li Hui never imagined she would end up like this, with no one to rescue her. She regretted writing that letter to Guo Peng telling him she had run away with someone; if she hadn't, perhaps Guo Peng would have come looking for her.
But when Li Hui wrote that letter, Guo Peng would only think that Li Hui was living somewhere else with someone she had eloped with, and he wouldn't know that she had been trafficked.
Li Hui doesn't regret finding other men, she only regrets not finding the right one, but instead finding a human trafficker.
"Are you resigned to your fate?" the woman asked.
"..." Li Hui didn't say anything.
The woman took out a whip to hit Li Hui, and Li Hui quickly said, "I accept my fate, I accept my fate."
“Don’t keep saying you’ve resigned yourself to your fate, but then you try to escape,” the woman said. “There are guards at all the crossroads around here. If you go up the mountain, do you even know the way? Going to the town won’t help either; the people there won’t let you leave.”
Someone once went to the town to report it to the police, but it was no use. The person was quickly sent back and received an even more severe beating in return.
These people are a bunch of scoundrels, they've long formed an entire industry chain, and they're all shady characters.
The woman said those things deliberately to discourage Li Hui from trying to escape. Many women who came to their village wanted to run away, but none succeeded. Those women lost their bearings once they entered the mountains, and when they finally emerged, they found themselves surrounded by villagers.
At that moment, they were undoubtedly in despair!
If it weren't for the mountains and remote location, the people here wouldn't be struggling to find wives. Since they can't find wives, they buy women.
Li Hui had fled to the mountains, but the temperature difference between day and night was too great, and she couldn't bear it for long, so she ran out again. Li Hui didn't want to freeze to death; she wanted to live, because as long as she was alive, there was still hope.
Li Hui was not a chaste and virtuous woman; she would never have committed suicide by throwing her head against a wall.
Guo Peng assumed Li Hui had eloped with someone to live elsewhere, so he didn't report it to the police. Now that he's remarried, he's even less likely to report it. The Li family didn't receive a call from Li Hui, and they assumed she was too ashamed to call them; their family had become the laughingstock of the county.
The Li family thought it was better that Li Hui didn't call them, as it meant she was doing well. They figured if Li Hui encountered any difficulties, she would call home.
As a result, no one went looking for Li Hui, no one reported her missing, and Li Hui was no longer considered a missing person.
"Has Li Hui contacted you?" Shi Guilan's biological mother went shopping in the county town and then visited Li's mother's house. She specifically asked, "Have you told her about Guo Peng's divorce from her?"
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