Chapter 81 Fate - Can I Not Fight Back?
"You..." Qin's mother did not expect her eldest aunt to say this.
"No matter who comes, I say the same things," Aunt Qin said. "The bond between mother and son, the bond between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, is gone. What bond can there be between cousins? The bond of being bullied?"
If we're talking about how to deal with Qin's mother, then it has to be Qin's eldest aunt.
You Yun was Qin's mother's junior, and because of her lower seniority, it was difficult for her to deal with Qin's mother. You Yun also didn't want to get involved in other matters, and she would let things slide if they could be. It was only this time, after Qin's mother had driven the person away, that You Yun said a few words.
"You just don't think straight. When you get old, you have to accept it and stop meddling in so many things," Aunt Qin said. "If you're always meddling, do you think others will want you to? You don't care when you should care, but you want to care when you shouldn't. Of course, people will have opinions about you. If they don't have opinions about you, who will they have opinions about?"
"I..." Qin's mother felt extremely uncomfortable. "It can't all be my fault, can it?"
"If it's not your problem, whose problem is it?" Aunt Qin said. "If we weren't such close relatives, I wouldn't even bother to talk to you."
"..." Qin's mother thought it best if Aunt Qin didn't come.
When the weekend came, Aunt Qin went to Song Fenglan's place, not with Qin's mother. Qin's mother wanted to go with Aunt Qin, but Aunt Qin refused. Aunt Qin knew that Qin's mother was not good at understanding people; she had explained the same things to her so many times, but Qin's mother still acted superior.
She's just a mother-in-law; who hasn't been a mother-in-law?
Aunt Qin thought that people like Qin's mother were both wicked and long-lived, their scourges lasting for a thousand years.
Song Fenglan was resting at home and didn't go to the research institute to work overtime. When Song Fenglan saw that Aunt Qin had brought so many things and that Aunt Qin was smiling so happily, she asked Aunt Qin to sit down, and Sun Mei went to pour tea for Aunt Qin.
"This place is really nice." Aunt Qin hadn't seen the house before, but even from the outside, she knew the house the Qin family bought for Qin Yizhou was far inferior. Looking inside, she thought the Song family was truly wealthy; they had prepared so many things for Song Fenglan. The Qin family could never have prepared so many things for Qin Yizhou and his wife. "Where's Yizhou?"
“He’s in the army, he’ll be back a little later,” Song Fenglan said.
"I see," said Aunt Qin. "Where is Zihang?"
“He’s with my mom,” Song Fenglan said. “He plays with his older brother and sister.”
“Children love to play, so they need playmates; it's too lonely for them to be alone,” Aunt Qin asked. “Are you planning to have another child?”
"No," Song Fenglan said. "One child is enough; I don't plan to have any more."
“Indeed, having one child is better than not having any at all.” If the person sitting in front of her wasn’t Song Fenglan, but someone else, Aunt Qin would definitely say: One child is so lonely, it’s better to have another child, so that two children can keep each other company.
But Aunt Qin was facing Song Fenglan, and she could clearly sense that the Qin family and the Song family were not on the same level. Or rather, Song Fenglan and her husband were far superior to the rest of the Qin family, and Qin Zihang would certainly become even stronger in the future.
"Back when you came back to the capital for the Spring Festival, I wanted to treat you to a meal, but you had to work overtime, so we couldn't," Aunt Qin said. "Whenever you're free, I'll treat you to a meal at a hotel. It'll just be our family and you, without inviting your mother-in-law and the others."
"No need," Song Fenglan refused. If Qin's mother insisted on going, it would be difficult to handle. "I have things to do and don't have time to go. If you want to invite him, let Yizhou go, and Zihang can go to his maternal grandmother's house."
Song Fenglan's meaning was clear: she didn't intend for Qin Zihang to have much contact with the Qin family. Let alone saying that the grudges of the previous generation shouldn't affect the next, doesn't the next generation have its own grudges?
Don't suggest letting the kids play together, and don't say that conflicts between children aren't conflicts.
Song Fenglan didn't consider herself a particularly kind person and didn't want Qin Zihang to suffer. Qin Zihang had felt the malice of those around him since he was very young, and he hadn't completely forgotten it; his body still retained some of the memory, subconsciously avoiding contact with certain people. Song Fenglan still had to consider Qin Zihang's feelings. As for Qin Yizhou, well, that was fine with her; he was Qin Yizhou's family. If Qin Yizhou wanted to contact those people, she wouldn't stop him.
Qin Zihang is a piece of Song Fenglan's flesh and blood; she can make some decisions for her son.
"It's...it's alright." Aunt Qin was flexible and didn't show any displeasure. It was the Qin family's fault for not doing things right, which led to their current attitude. "When are you free and want to go out to eat? Just let us know. If you don't go out to eat, it's fine too. The food at home is clean."
Aunt Qin really wanted to invite Song Fenglan to her house for dinner, and she would cook for her, but she knew Song Fenglan would still refuse.
"Nothing much, I just came to see you. I'll head back now." Aunt Qin didn't linger and get in the way; she knew better than to stay any longer.
"Okay." Song Fenglan did not try to stop Aunt Qin from staying; she didn't even get up to see Aunt Qin off.
Aunt Qin saw Song Fenglan sitting there drinking tea and had no objection. If someone has the ability, then they can sit there like that; ultimately, it's our family that's too incompetent.
In Nancheng, Fan Yani and the others finished tidying up their shop. Fan Yani's shop wasn't attached to Guo Yan's. Fan Yani set up a shop in her own yard, while Guo Yan's family rented another shop.
The shop itself doesn't need to be decorated too nicely, as that would cost too much money.
Once everything is packed up, the shop can open for business.
"Is everything packed?" Li Hui came over.
Li Hui waited until these people had almost finished tidying up before coming over. She didn't want to lend a hand or do the rough work. Li Hui would just stand there and talk, but wouldn't actually help.
Guo Yan and his wife already knew what Li Hui was like. They thought it was good that Li Hui hadn't come over the other day. If she had come, even though she hadn't done anything, people would have assumed that she had helped them.
"It's all ready," Niu Cuihua said. "We can open for business tomorrow."
“Opening a shop isn’t easy; you have to be a good cook. If your cooking isn’t good, people aren’t stupid, and they won’t buy from you,” Li Hui said. “Don’t waste your money and end up with nothing.”
“Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry about that,” Niu Cuihua said. “When I was at my parents’ home, I could still cook some things. After I got married, I cooked less often, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten. The most important thing is that it tastes good, the portions are large, and it can fill our stomachs.”
Niu Cuihua and her team run a shop that caters to ordinary people, not high-end products. Fan Yani also told Niu Cuihua and her team that the key is to sell small, high-volume items and build a good reputation so that more people will come to eat there in the future.
This isn't the era of readily available internet and food delivery services. Fan Yani believes that as long as they make good food, many people will still buy it. If they don't put in the effort and their food isn't tasty, it's impossible to expect anyone to eat it.
The food in the staff canteen here isn't particularly good; it's just average. The staff canteen isn't...
Anyone can go there to buy food. Some people here have changed jobs, and some people with money are willing to come out and buy some food.
There's a noodle shop nearby that Fan Yani has eaten at. The noodles there aren't particularly good, but the business is alright. It's doing okay because there's no competition from other noodle shops. Even if Guo Yan and his wife hadn't opened the shop, someone else would have eventually.
"Sister-in-law, please move aside." Niu Cuihua was holding a mop and was about to use it to mop the floor where Li Hui was standing.
Li Hui quickly stepped aside, "Wasn't it already cleaned up?"
“Isn’t this dirty again?” Niu Cuihua said.
"..." Li Hui suspected that Niu Cuihua was deliberately targeting her, and her face turned ugly. "You guys should clean properly. When guests come, they will have to walk on the floor. It's impossible for it to always be spotless. I don't think you've cleaned it very well."
“It should be cleaner than my sister-in-law’s house, right? My sister-in-law can leave her adopted child with my mother and still clean the house regularly,” Niu Cuihua said.
“It’s our own home, not outside, it’s not that dirty.” Li Hui turned and left. She had come over out of kindness to check on things, and this was Niu Cuihua’s attitude.
Niu Cuihua rolled her eyes at Li Hui's retreating figure. Guo Peng works at the Grain Bureau, so Li Hui should be smug.
When Fan Yani arrived, she saw Li Hui leaving. Fan Yani had just gone home to get some things; she still had to run the shop and couldn't keep helping Niu Cuihua and her husband with their tidying up. Although the ingredients Fan Yani and Niu Cuihua bought were slightly different, Fan Yani still took them to look at the ingredients; the shop needed a lot, so they needed to see what ingredients were good.
Good ingredients and good cooking will make customers happy.
Fan Yani's cookies, bread, cakes, and the like are especially popular. Many people go to buy them. All the items Fan Yani sells have expiration dates labeled, letting people know how many days they can be stored. For items that aren't labeled with weight, Fan Yani will either tell people verbally or simply stick a note next to them explaining the situation.
"What is she doing here?" Fan Yani asked.
“She just went around in a circle, making a show of it,” Niu Cuihua said. “She never came to help.”
“That’s just how my sister-in-law is. She’s a dancer, but she prefers to have fun,” Fan Yani said. “Don’t expect her to help.”
"Mm." Niu Cuihua nodded.
In the evening, Qin Yizhou returned home, Qin Zihang went to his room to do his homework, and Song Fenglan sat in the living room watching TV.
“Your eldest aunt came over today,” Song Fenglan said.
"What is she doing here?" Qin Yizhou asked.
Upon returning to the capital, Song Fenglan and her husband did not visit Aunt Qin or any other relatives of the Qin family. Song Fenglan's relationship with the Qin family was not good. When Qin Yizhou married Song Fenglan, some relatives came to persuade him against it. Qin Yizhou already had little contact with those people, and after this incident, he had even less contact with them.
"I brought the things over," Song Fenglan said. "She sat for a while and then said she wanted to go back, so I didn't ask her to stay for dinner. I don't want to face your relatives alone."
“There’s no need to make her stay. Your aunt came over because she sees your capabilities,” Qin Yizhou said. “When you gave birth to Zihang, did she come to see you?”
"She did come once," Song Fenglan said, "but that was about it. How can we expect her to come more often?"
Song Fenglan felt that Aunt Qin was the kind of person who wouldn't go too far; she would always handle things in a way that was more tactful. But the Qin family members were all essentially the same, and Song Fenglan didn't want to get too involved with them.
"That's fine, at least you let her in," Qin Yizhou said. "It wouldn't matter if you didn't let her in."
Song Fenglan turned to look at Qin Yizhou, somewhat taken aback.
“I’m serious. Next time, if you don’t want to see someone, just have someone say you’re not home,” Qin Yizhou said. “Even if you are home, just say you’re busy, and it won’t matter.”
Qin Yizhou's thinking was that simple: if he didn't want to see her, then he wouldn't; there was no need for him to go through with it.
“They are my relatives, that’s true, but we don’t need to rely on them for a living,” Qin Yizhou said. “Whether we see them or not won’t affect our lives.”
"..." Song Fenglan couldn't help but wonder if she had been too gentle.
"Don't worry that I'll be upset, nothing like that." Qin Yizhou wouldn't be upset over such a small matter; those people weren't exactly good people to begin with.
Aunt Qin is opportunistic; she might not help you when you really need her, unless you're better than her. But if your family is better than Aunt Qin, would you still need her help?
Ultimately, someone like Aunt Qin is someone who is usually helped by others; she is unlikely to help others unless it's something trivial.
“Okay, we’ll do it your way next time,” Song Fenglan said. “If we’re not home, but Zihang is, they absolutely cannot come in.”
Qin Zihang is a junior, and those people are older and more senior; they will definitely use their seniority to suppress him. Qin Zihang is quite polite and doesn't want his child to suffer.
After Aunt Qin returned home, she didn't speak ill of Song Fenglan. Instead, she said to her husband, "We really offended someone. No, not us, but my family."
"Are you still going over there?" Uncle Qin asked.
"Where to go?" Aunt Qin said, "It'll be the same no matter where we go. It's not Fenglan's fault. We weren't good to her back then, so how can we expect her to be nice to us now? If someone treated me that badly, I wouldn't even let them in the door."
"..." Uncle Qin glanced at Aunt Qin a few more times.
"Did you think I'd be angry? How could I?" Aunt Qin said. "They're capable, why would I be angry? I just regret that I should have been nicer to Fenglan back then."
"Regret is useless," said Uncle Qin.
"Sigh, there's no such thing as knowing beforehand in life," said Aunt Qin.
On the first day of the new day, Song Fenglan and her husband took Qin Zihang to visit Song's third aunt. They should have come earlier, but everyone had other things to do, so they waited until everyone was free to come. After all, they were in the capital now and had plenty of time.
Song Fenglan noticed that her third aunt had many trees in her yard, as well as some flowers and plants. Her third aunt hired someone to help with cleaning and cooking, which made her life much easier. She went out even less often; since someone was helping, she only needed to pay.
“Aunt.” Song Fenglan saw her third aunt lying on a rocking chair in the courtyard, with a fan on her face.
"You've arrived." Aunt Song San wasn't asleep; she had just closed her eyes to rest. "Come on in."
Aunt Song San held Song Fenglan's hand and gently patted it, saying, "We haven't seen each other for so long."
“Yes, it’s been many years.” Song Fenglan nodded. “We came back a few days ago, but we had a lot of things to do, so we waited until today.”
"No rush, no rush," said Aunt Song, who was very tolerant of Song Fenglan. "I'm sorry to trouble you."
Aunt Song's eyes were slightly red. Their family had produced one Song Xingyun, and now another, Song Fenglan. The deceased Song Xingyun wasn't of much value; it was the living Song Fenglan who brought more benefits to the Song family. If no one else could take his place, who would even think about Song Xingyun?
"Auntie," Qin Zihang quickly called out to Aunt Song.
“This is our Hangbao, he’s really handsome,” said Aunt Song. “Just as handsome as you… just as handsome as your father.”
Aunt Song originally wanted to say that Qin Zihang and Song Fenglan looked very similar, but when she looked at Qin Yizhou next to her, she realized that Qin Zihang and Qin Yizhou looked so alike that it was impossible to ignore them.
"Do I look like my mother?" Qin Zihang asked.
“Yes, you are your mother’s biological son, so of course you look like her,” Aunt Song said with a smile. “Your face is like your father’s, and your mind is like your mother’s, okay?”
"Okay!" Qin Zihang nodded.
Qin Yizhou chuckled. He didn't care much about who his son resembled or how, as long as the son was his biological child, that was fine. If the son wasn't his biological child, then he wasn't his wife's biological child either, and that wouldn't be a problem either.
"Come in quickly, it's hot outside." Aunt Song San pulled Song Fenglan into the house.
Although Aunt Song always stays at home, she frequently opens the windows and doors to let in fresh air, so the house doesn't have a strong odor. She also keeps some flowers and plants in the house, so the air is quite fresh.
"Have some fruit," Aunt Song said to the maid, "and bring the milk over."
Aunt Song looked at Qin Yizhou again, "Can you drink milk?"
"Okay." Qin Yizhou nodded.
"The milk is delicious," Qin Zihang said.
"Drink." Aunt Song reached out and patted Qin Zihang's head. "This is the first time your great-aunt has met Hangbao."
"Auntie." Qin Zihang approached Aunt Song, not intending to distance himself from her.
Qin Zihang liked Song's relatives very much; they all treated him very well.
"Okay," said Aunt Song, "Sit down, everyone. Hangbao can come over and play more often if he has time."
When dealing with her own grandchildren, Aunt Song would say: "Don't you already have grandparents? What else do you need me to do?"
Aunt Song didn't treat her own children well, and she treated her grandchildren the same way, never intending to let them get in her way.
"You're all staying here for lunch today," said Aunt Song. "Try my cooking; Hangbao hasn't tried it yet. Fenglan, when you were little, you always said you wanted your aunt to cook more for you and that you wanted to come with me."
“Aunt.” Song Fenglan knew that when chatting with these elders, they liked to talk about the past.
"Please sit down, all of you." Aunt Song San got up and brought out some pastries so that Song Fenglan and her family of three could have more.
Aunt Song felt that someone like Song Fenglan was someone who truly had the blood of the Song family, and that Song Fenglan's decision to stay in the city was also intended to help them. Meanwhile, her own children only wanted to sever ties with the Song family and distance themselves from their biological mother.
“Auntie, you’ve brought out so much food. We only have one mouth to feed, so three people have three mouths to feed. With you, that makes four mouths to feed,” Song Fenglan said.
"Try them all, it's not like you're all eating the same thing," Aunt Song said. "When you were little, you told your aunt to bring out all the good food, have you forgotten?"
"..." Song Fenglan blinked. "Really?"
“You were so cute when you were little. Even if you didn’t say anything, we would have brought out all the best food for you to eat,” said Aunt Song.
"Grandma, Grandma, how lovely is Mommy?"
"Isn't it cuter than Hangbao?" Qin Zihang asked.
“Our Hangbao is adorable too.” Aunt Song cupped Qin Zihang’s face in her hands. “Look, you’re adorable now, and your mother is beautiful.”
"Where's Dad?" Qin Zihang asked again.
“Your father is a tough guy,” Aunt Song said.
The maid went out to buy groceries and returned with quite a lot. Aunt Song also went to the kitchen, but Song Fenglan didn't go to help; Qin Yizhou went to help instead.
Aunt Song had previously heard from Song's mother that Qin Yizhou was a decent cook and often cooked for her. Seeing Qin Yizhou's actions, Aunt Song said, "Go and rest, we'll take care of things here."
"It's alright, I'll just lend a hand," Qin Yizhou said.
Aunt Song thought of her ex-husband, who used to be eager to do things. But her ex-husband gave her a different feeling; he was the weaker one, yet he wanted to perform better in order to gain more benefits.
She had already sensed it before her third aunt and her ex-husband divorced.
At the time, Aunt Song thought that everyone has flaws and no one is perfect. How could she possibly expect her ex-husband to be perfect? Such a well-rounded person was beyond her reach. When her ex-husband asked for a divorce, she wasn't too surprised. Divorce was fine; it was over.
At the dinner table, Aunt Song asked Qin Yizhou if he wanted to drink, but Qin Yizhou said no.
"I still have some wine here," said Aunt Song. "There's no one else around, so I can have a drink by myself."
“Sure, of course,” Song Fenglan said. “It’s not like women have to have someone else drink with them to drink.”
“Yes,” said Aunt Song, “none of you are drinking.”
"Auntie, please drink," Song Fenglan said. "We won't drink, we'll just have some beverages."
"That's fine," said Aunt Song. "You don't need to go out for social events or drink too much."
Qin Yizhou came with Song Fenglan, but Cao Fang did not.
Song Erge went to Song Fenglan's house to deliver some things, and he met Cao Fang.
"Fenglan hasn't returned yet?" Second Brother Song asked.
"Not yet," Cao Fang replied, "but it should be soon."
"She just got back, and she's got a lot going on," said Brother Song.
Cao Fang remained silent. Her sole responsibility was to protect Song Fenglan; she didn't concern herself with the details of what happened. Cao Fang knew her limits and didn't interfere too much in other people's affairs.
"I heard you're not married yet?" Brother Song asked. "Do you have a suitable candidate in mind?"
"No." Cao Fang didn't expect Song Erge to ask her that.
"What do you think of me?" Second Brother Song asked directly.
Earlier, when Song Erge went to Nancheng to visit Song Fenglan with his parents, he saw Cao Fang. At that time, Song Erge didn't have any particular thoughts about Cao Fang. However, when Cao Fang returned to the capital with Song Fenglan and Song Erge saw her again, he had this idea.
"You?" Cao Fang's eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes,” said Brother Song. “My leg is a little lame. If I walk fast, you can tell. Do you mind? People might say you married a cripple for money.”
Brother Song didn't think money was that important; it was just that with money, you could do many things. Brother Song thought that Cao Fang must be quite good for the organization to trust her so much; otherwise, his sister wouldn't have brought Cao Fang back with her.
"Of course I don't mind." Cao Fang couldn't possibly mind Song Erge's leg; it was a result of a special era. Besides, Cao Fang knew what kind of family the Song family was; the Song family was loyal to the country and were righteous people.
“If you’re willing, we can talk to Fenglan, and you can report to the organization,” said Brother Song.
“I’m old,” Cao Fang said. “I’m thirty.”
Cao Fang did not hide her age. Some men would mind a woman's age. Since Brother Song is so rich, he could have many more choices.
“I’m older than you,” said Brother Song.
Cao Fang and Song Erge looked at each other and smiled.
"It's settled then," said Second Brother Song.
“Okay.” Cao Fang nodded. If it were anyone else, she might have hesitated a bit, but the person in front of her was Second Brother Song, and Second Brother Song was no slouch. Second Brother Song was a bit older and had some leg problems, but so what? He was still very strong.
When Song Fenglan and her husband returned with Qin Zihang, she saw Song's second brother and Cao Fang sitting there.
“You guys…” Song Fenglan sensed something was wrong.
Song Erge grasped Cao Fang's hand, "We've decided to be together."
“You guys… are not bad either,” Song Fenglan said. She couldn’t say they weren’t good; Cao Fang was indeed very good.
So what if Cao Fang is older and unmarried?
In her previous life, Song Fenglan was much older and still unmarried. It's said that older women are more outstanding, while older men are mostly leftovers, rarely good ones.
"Second Uncle, are you getting married? Does that mean I already have a Second Aunt?" Qin Zihang asked.
"Yes." Second Brother Song nodded.
"Comrade Fenglan." Cao Fang looked at Song Fenglan, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Don’t feel embarrassed to be together because of me. It’s your right,” Song Fenglan said. “My second brother is a good person. I’m happy that you two can be together.”
Song Fenglan never intended to matchmake Cao Fang with her second brother. Public and private matters were separate things. Besides, Song Fenglan was always busy with work; she wasn't good at being a matchmaker. Song Fenglan knew Cao Fang didn't have a boyfriend; she simply hoped that when the time was right, Cao Fang would find one.
“You two can be together,” Song Fenglan said. “Submitting a report won’t be a problem!”
"Congratulations," Qin Yizhou said.
Qin Yizhou had no objection to Cao Fang being with Song Erge. Besides being colleagues, Cao Fang and Song Fenglan were also relatives, so it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
At Cao Fang's age, her physical abilities will naturally decline in a few years, but she can do other things.
"Thank you," said Brother Song.
Cao Fang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Song Fenglan had no objections. She had originally thought that Song Fenglan was unlikely to disagree, as she knew Song Fenglan quite well. She just didn't know if the Song family would agree.
The Song family naturally had no objections; what mattered most to them was that their second brother Song was willing to get married.
Cao Fang reported to the relevant departments, and the leaders naturally agreed. The leaders hadn't intended for Cao Fang to continue protecting Song Fenglan; they needed someone younger and more capable to replace her.
With the matter settled, Cao Fang and Song Erge went to register their marriage. Naturally, they needed to prepare a wedding banquet. Cao Fang's family lived quite far away, and they always urged her to get married, saying she was too old and wouldn't be able to marry into a good family.
Cao Fang didn't tell her parents how wealthy the Song family was; she only mentioned that they lived in the capital, owned a house, and were financially secure. Cao Fang's parents assumed she had married just anyone to gain a foothold in the capital.
Mr. and Mrs. Cao came to the capital by themselves; the rest of the Cao family did not come. Mr. and Mrs. Cao thought it would be enough for them to come and visit; if they wanted to hold a wedding banquet, the groom's and bride's families would hold separate events. After all, their hometown was too far from the capital, and it wouldn't be appropriate to have relatives come to the capital, as it would all cost money.
When Cao's parents arrived at the Song family home, they realized how wealthy the Song family was.
“I bought a house nearby, and we live in that house,” said Brother Song.
This would make it easier for Cao Fang to protect Song Fenglan at her home, and it would also allow Song's second brother to get closer to the Song family. Song's second brother didn't intend to live with Song's eldest brother and his wife; that wouldn't be ideal, as it could easily lead to conflicts between sisters-in-law. It would be much better if they were some distance apart.
"Let them decide what happens between them," said Song's mother.
Looking at her calloused hands and then at Song's elegant and refined mother, Cao's mother realized the vast difference between their family and the Song family. She hadn't expected Song's mother to allow her second son to marry Cao Fang. Even if her second son had a leg problem, he could easily find a younger and more beautiful woman. Cao's mother couldn't understand what her second son saw in Cao Fang; their family's circumstances were far inferior.
Although Cao Fang and Song Erge were already married, Song's mother still prepared a bride price. Whether the Cao family should keep a portion of this bride price or keep more was none of the Song family's business.
Song's mother believed that it was not easy for the Cao family to raise Cao Fang to be so capable. Since Cao Fang married far away, it would be difficult for her to be filial to her parents in the future. The Cao family should indeed leave some money behind.
After asking a few questions, Song's mother asked again, "Do you have any objections?"
"No, no objection," Cao's mother quickly replied, indicating that she had no objection whatsoever.
The Song family covered all the travel and accommodation expenses for the Cao family's relatives, so the Cao family didn't need to worry about it. Naturally, the Cao family didn't plan to have all their relatives come; they only invited some of their closer relatives.
Song Fenglan didn't interfere much in Cao Fang's marriage to her second brother. She didn't ask about the wedding's details or where it was held.
While Cao Fang was preparing for the wedding banquet, she also went to work to protect Song Fenglan. Song Fenglan was at the research institute and didn't need Cao Fang, so she told Cao Fang to go and take care of other things. However, Cao Fang still didn't dare to leave casually, for fear that Song Fenglan might leave at the last minute.
Therefore, Cao Fang would usually wait until evening to discuss those matters with Song Erge. Cao Fang didn't need to worry too much, as the Song family would arrange everything perfectly.
Some people were surprised to learn that Cao Fang was with Song Erge. Others, knowing that Cao Fang was protecting Song Fenglan, felt that Cao Fang had the advantage of being in a privileged position. Some envied Cao Fang, but that was something they couldn't have.
Some people are wondering why Brother Song would fall for Cao Fang, since Cao Fang isn't particularly pretty; she's quite ordinary-looking.
Song Erge didn't know what others were thinking; he just felt that he and Cao Fang were a good match. Perhaps there wasn't a deep love between them, but that didn't matter; what mattered was that they were compatible. Song Erge wasn't promiscuous; if he wanted to find another woman, he would have done so long ago. He wouldn't wait until after marriage to look for another woman.
"Second sister-in-law, take leave when you need to," Song Fenglan said. "Marriage is a major life event, and it's basically a once-in-a-lifetime event. You should go back and prepare for the wedding banquet. After the wedding, you can go out and have some fun with your second brother."
"It's alright, your second brother has already made all the arrangements," Cao Fang said. "You can ask for leave a couple of days before the wedding banquet, and someone will come to protect you then."
Cao Fang didn't want others to think that because she was with Song Fenglan's second brother, she wouldn't bother protecting him. Cao Fang knew who she was; now that she was Song Fenglan's sister-in-law, she should protect Song Fenglan even more. Even if she had to choose between Song Fenglan and her second brother, Cao Fang would choose to protect Song Fenglan.
“You don’t need to worry about me,” Cao Fang said.
“Okay, you guys handle it.” Song Fenglan said.
Cao Fang escorted Song Fenglan home, and only after seeing Qin Yizhou at home did she go back inside.
After finishing her meal, Song Fenglan remarked to Qin Yizhou, "I never imagined that my second brother would end up with Cao Fang."
"It's fate," Qin Yizhou said.
“It’s fate.” Song Fenglan nodded. “Cao Fang came to the capital with us. If she hadn’t come, we wouldn’t know when Second Brother would get married.”
Song Fenglan thought that Cao Fang and Song Erge were a perfect match.
When people from Cao Fang's hometown learned that she had married a man with a leg problem, they all sighed. But when they learned that Cao Fang's in-laws had paid for Cao's relatives to go to the capital, their expressions changed again. So many people going would incur expensive travel expenses, not to mention accommodation and food costs—it would be a huge expense. Cao Fang's in-laws had indeed paid for it, without requiring Cao's relatives to put in any money upfront.
The Song family knew they had to pay upfront to save face and make others think Cao Fang had married a good man, which would encourage them to come to the capital. If they let Cao's relatives pay first, people worried the Song family wouldn't reimburse them later.
It would be better if the Song family simply paid the money first, arranged everything, and then the Cao family could come directly.
Song Fenglan went to work and left work as usual. She had a lot to do and sometimes had to work overtime. She had only been in this new place for less than a month, and she had a lot of problems to solve. Song Fenglan also had to lead a team. Those people lacked knowledge, so Song Fenglan had to supplement their knowledge. She couldn't just ignore them; doing so would only slow down the entire team's progress. One person couldn't do it alone; the overall strength needed to be improved for them to cooperate better.
The aviation university in the capital extended an offer to Song Fenglan, inviting her to become a teacher. Song Fenglan had initially considered pursuing a master's or doctoral degree, but since there wasn't much material for her to teach, she could mentor students. The aviation university didn't mind that Song Fenglan hadn't pursued a master's or doctoral degree; the president personally visited her.
When the principal arrived at Song Fenglan's office, Song Fenglan poured him some water.
"These are the appointment letter and contract." The principal placed the documents in front of Song Fenglan. "You won't be supervising undergraduates, just graduate and doctoral students."
The research institute collaborates with the aviation university, and the institute already trains graduate students for the university. The president knows many people at the institute, so he knows how capable Song Fenglan is. He's open-minded about talent, and doesn't insist on specific academic qualifications for mentoring.
“Okay.” Song Fenglan glanced at the document and had no objections.
Song Fenglan had already noticed this when she was in Nancheng: people in China were subject to technological blockades from abroad and didn't understand many things, having to figure them out gradually. Since Song Fenglan knew more, she was naturally willing to teach those people; she had no intention of keeping her knowledge to herself. Song Fenglan herself had also learned from her mentors and others, which was how she achieved her current level.
"It's a pleasure working with you." The principal extended his hand.
"It's a pleasure to cooperate with you," Song Fenglan said.
The principal had initially worried that Song Fenglan would be unwilling, but upon hearing her answer, he was finally relieved. The students Song Fenglan was to mentor naturally had to be outstanding. For these specialized fields, students all had to undergo political vetting, and their family backgrounds were generally acceptable.
Song Fenglan doesn't need to attend university classes; she can simply continue working at the research institute. Back in Nancheng, she had helped other professors mentor graduate students, so she was quite experienced in the field.
"Mom, are you going to be a teacher?" Qin Zihang asked as he did his homework in the living room. He heard his parents talking about teaching students and looked up.
“Yes, to be a teacher.” Song Fenglan nodded.
"Will I become a teacher after I graduate from university?" Qin Zihang asked.
“No, after you graduate from university, you’ll have to pursue a master’s and a doctorate,” Song Fenglan said.
"Isn't Mom going to study?" Qin Zihang asked.
What could Song Fenglan say? "Mom is getting old and has learned a lot. She can be a teacher. You are so much younger than Mom. When you grow up, there will be many college students, and you will need to pursue master's and doctoral degrees."
"Is that so?" Qin Zihang didn't quite understand.
“Yes, there are fewer college students now, and college graduates can stay at the university as teachers,” Song Fenglan said. “When you grow up, your academic qualifications will be devalued and won’t be as valuable, so you will have to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree.”
"Can't it not depreciate?" Qin Zihang said.
"This is an opportunity for Hangbao to prove himself, to make him the most educated person in our family. Isn't that a good thing?" Song Fenglan said. "His postgraduate and doctoral studies depend on you. Are you willing to help your mother fulfill the dreams she couldn't achieve?"
"Yes!" Qin Zihang was of course willing to help his mother. There was no way he wouldn't. "Mom, I will definitely be able to fulfill your wish, and I will also be able to fulfill mine."
Seeing his wife and children so happy, Qin Yizhou was in a good mood.
In the south of the city, a new neighbor moved in next door to Fatty's wife. The new resident didn't seem to hold a high position like Qin Yizhou and his wife; they were relatively ordinary. The neighbor's child was quite mischievous; in just two days, Zhang Xiaohu got into a fight with the neighbor's kid.
"They moved in, and I didn't even go inside. I was just passing by when he sprayed me with water!" Zhang Xiaohu gritted his teeth, a bump on his head. "Mom, can't I not fight back?"
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