Chapter 16: Ugly People Make Trouble, Running with Son (Third Update)…

Chapter 16: Ugly People Stir Up Drama—Holding Her Grandchild and Running Away (Third Update)...

"This is killing me, damn it, those heartless bastards!"

"How am I supposed to have time to watch the kid?"

"You don’t take care of the child yourselves, and now that I’m helping, you still find fault with me!"

"I’ve already apologized to you, yet you’re still dissatisfied. You just don’t like me as your mother-in-law, you despise me!"

...

Since her granddaughter was unharmed, Granny Fang dared to sit there and make a scene. If the granddaughter had been lost, Granny Fang would have restrained herself a little.

Granny Fang simply believed that since her granddaughter was fine, her son and daughter-in-law shouldn’t hold so much against her. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes—moreover, she had so much to do. How could one person manage everything? If her daughter-in-law had stayed home to take care of the child, none of this would have happened.

Zhang Xiaohu dashed over in an instant. Once he reached the Fang household, he slipped through like a greased eel, quickly squeezing his way to the front. Auntie Fatty couldn’t stop him. She had no choice but to follow, thinking Zhang Xiaohu must have ants in his pants.

Qin Zihang, on the other hand, knew to stay close to his mother. He could watch the drama, but he shouldn’t get too close.

Song Fenglan understood that children have strong curiosity. Trying to stop them was pointless. If they didn’t see it this time, they’d just sneak out later. It was better to let them take a look now—once they saw it, they’d be more likely to let it go.

"Get up, hurry up and get up!" Gao Xiuxiu was sickened by her mother-in-law’s behavior. Her mother-in-law was a typical rural shrew, fond of making scenes. She didn’t care at all about the family’s reputation.

Her mother-in-law sat right on the ground, not giving a damn about the dirt or the risk of tearing her clothes.

Gao Xiuxiu thought bitterly—of course, if anything got damaged, her mother-in-law would just demand money from them to replace it. She couldn’t care less if they were broke.

"I won’t get up!" Granny Fang dug in her heels. "If I get up, it means I admit I was wrong. I won’t get up. I’ve done so much for you, and not once have you praised me, thanked me, or acknowledged my effort. Instead, this is how you treat me. Am I just supposed to take your abuse because we’re family?"

Granny Fang bawled loudly.

"What a lousy daughter-in-law! I never should have come!"

"Now that the granddaughter is older, they want to kick me out. They don’t need me anymore!"

"Ah, a widow like me, killing myself to raise them all these years—was it easy for me?"

...

Gao Xiuxiu’s face twisted with fury. She stepped forward to pull her mother-in-law up, but the old woman refused to budge.

"Please, just get up," Auntie Fatty urged, stepping closer. "Whatever the issue is, you should discuss it properly inside the house."

She glanced at Gao Xiuxiu, understanding how much the younger woman was suffering. Such matters should be settled privately, not aired for all to see.

Most of the onlookers just stood there watching, with few stepping forward to mediate.

Auntie Fatty tried again. "Auntie, please get up. The ground is dirty."

"If it’s dirty, it’s me who’ll wash the clothes—not you, not my daughter-in-law," Granny Fang snapped. "I’ve slaved away doing everything for them, and what do they do? They live like royalty, yet still find fault with me!"

Granny Fang showed no respect for Auntie Fatty. She had been here long enough to know everyone’s standing. Auntie Fatty’s husband wasn’t anyone important, so Granny Fang wasn’t the least bit intimidated.

Seeing this, Auntie Fatty—strong as she was—tried to pull Granny Fang up, but the old woman plopped back down. Auntie Fatty decided to let go, thinking it best not to force it. Granny Fang was old—if anything happened, *they’d* blame her.

Gao Xiuxiu wanted to pack her mother-in-law’s bags and send her back to the countryside. But given the situation, she suspected her mother-in-law had no intention of leaving. Getting her to go back would be next to impossible.

She kicked herself for believing her mother-in-law could help with the child, for listening to her husband, for letting her come at all. If her mother-in-law had never come, none of this *would’ve* happened.

Song Fenglan didn’t speak, as she wasn’t aware of the situation and couldn’t intervene. Even if she knew a little, she wouldn’t say anything—after all, even a wise judge can't settle family quarrels, and no one could judge it right.

Qin Zihang saw someone sitting on the ground and shouting for the first time. Curious, he kept staring.

"Mom, is she a child?" Qin Zihang whispered, tugging at his mother's sleeve.

"Seen enough?" Song Fenglan kept her voice low, not wanting to draw attention. Luckily, Grandma Fang was making enough noise that no one noticed them. "Now that you've seen, let's go back."

Song Fenglan suddenly remembered what Auntie Fatty had said—some people claimed she was jinxing Gao Xiuxiu’s family. She didn’t take her son into the Fang family’s yard, just peeked from the gate. Other people’s family matters were none of their business. Who knew if they’d reconcile later and blame outsiders?

"Mom, no more watching?" Qin Zihang asked, glancing back. Adults could act like children too. "Aren’t adults afraid of losing face?"

Perhaps his voice was a little too loud—someone nearby turned to look at him.

Song Fenglan felt awkward and quickly said, "Time for your afternoon nap. Look at you, already sleepy and babbling."

She picked up her son to leave, not exactly running away but fearing he might say something shocking again. Better to avoid public embarrassment. After a few steps, she ran into Shi Guilan.

The moment Shi Guilan saw Song Fenglan, she raised her voice, "Mrs. Qin, leaving so soon?"

Song Fenglan thought Shi Guilan was being ridiculous—she could leave whenever she wanted.

"Is this road yours?" Song Fenglan asked.

"Of course not," Shi Guilan said. "It’s public."

"If it’s not yours, why butt in?" Song Fenglan showed no respect, whether Shi Guilan was a staff officer’s wife or a political commissar’s—fancy titles meant nothing here.

She had come to the military base to be with her husband, not to suffer or be wronged. Since she had done nothing wrong, she had every right to retort.

"The Fang family is in trouble. Aren’t you going to help?" Shi Guilan pressed. "We’re all neighbors. Aren’t you being too heartless?"

"Then you go help! Be the kind neighbor!" Song Fenglan snapped back. "Just don’t make things worse and end up making a mess of things."

"You—!" Shi Guilan glared at her fiercely.

"Mom, she’s being mean to you," Qin Zihang said, sensing the hostility. He stood by his mother. "Is she an ugly busybody?"

"Mrs. Qin, how do you raise your child?" Shi Guilan fumed, pointing a trembling finger at Qin Zihang.

"He’s filial—he knows when his mom is being bullied and stands up for her," Song Fenglan said mockingly. "Oh, don’t tell me… you’ve never been defended by your own child?"

"You—!" Shi Guilan had indeed never been protected by her son. Her son was pampered, always complaining, yet she never dared criticize him.

"Weren’t you going to show off your neighborly kindness? Why block our way instead? Planning to target our family now?" Song Fenglan challenged. "Still hoping my husband will divorce me?"

Just then, Political Commissar Zhao’s wife arrived and saw the scene. She immediately knew Shi Guilan was throwing her status around—Shi Guilan loved flaunting her importance. But times had changed, and the committee's power wasn't what it used to be. Yet Shi Guilan still acted this way.

"Is the child sleepy?" Zhao’s wife stepped in. "Take him home to rest."

"She’s blocking the way," Qin Zihang pouted, playing with his fingers. "I'm so tired."

"You—is this how you teach your child?" Shi Guilan paled, especially with Political Commissar Zhao’s wife watching.

"Enough. Let them go rest," Zhao’s wife said sternly, frowning at Shi Guilan. She knew Shi Guilan nursed a grudge—she had failed to get her cousin married to Qin.

People did get divorced and remarried here, but trying to wreck a happy home? That was just wrong.

"They—" Shi Guilan turned to Zhao’s wife, about to protest, but the look in her eyes made her step aside and let them pass.

Qin Zihang was piggybacking on Song Fenglan and, upon noticing Shi Guilan looking over, stuck his tongue out at her. When Mrs. Zhao turned around, Qin Zihang put on his best puppy-dog eyes.

Shi Guilan was fuming and ready to blow up when Mrs. Zhao lightly patted her arm.

"Let's go," Mrs. Zhao said, thinking Shi Guilan was making a mountain out of a molehill. Regiment Commander Qin's wife had never offended Shi Guilan, yet Shi Guilan had it out for Song Fenglan even before meeting her.

Song Fenglan had likely come to join the army now because of policy changes.

At her level, Mrs. Zhao could sense many shifts, and her husband had mentioned a few things at home. She didn’t want Shi Guilan stirring up trouble—some matters were better left buried.

"..." Shi Guilan was resentful but powerless.

Old Lady Fang had been raising a ruckus in the yard for a long time. When Mrs. Zhao arrived, Old Lady Fang was still sitting on the ground, refusing to get up no matter how hard Auntie Fatty tried to pull her. Every time Auntie Fatty managed to lift her slightly, Old Lady Fang would flop right back down, leaving Auntie Fatty exhausted.

Only after much persuasion from Mrs. Zhao did Old Lady Fang finally rise. As the wife of the political commissar and a member of the Women's Federation, Mrs. Zhao carried a lot of clout here, and most people respected her.

Old Lady Fang was also somewhat afraid of Mrs. Zhao, worried that defying her too much might provoke her anger.

When Auntie Fatty saw Old Lady Fang being helped back to her room by Mrs. Zhao, she wanted to keep watching, but Shi Guilan started herding people out.

"Go on, everyone, go home!" Shi Guilan said. "Nothing to see here! This is someone else’s family matter."

The others couldn't stick around for the show. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to—they were simply being driven away.

Getting his stuff back was the last thing on Zhang Xiaohu's mind as he ran home, not heading toward Song Fenglan’s house. He just knew he didn’t want to keep writing, even if Qin Zihang was doing it too.

Qin Yizhou was a man who meant what he said. He truly went to find Staff Officer Xu. Qin Yizhou cut to the chase—normally, he shouldn’t have brought this up during work hours, but if he waited until after work, Staff Officer Xu might be nowhere to be found, only to return home and listen to Shi Guilan’s nonsense again.

In the past, Qin Yizhou had never spoken up about Staff Officer Xu’s wife or Shi Guilan’s cousin. But now, he had no choice. His wife and son were here, and if he didn’t handle this properly, they would suffer.

"Earlier, your wife tried to set me up with someone, and I already told her I was married," Qin Yizhou said. "No matter my wife’s background, she is my wife. Your wife shouldn’t speak ill of her outside or expect me to divorce her to marry her cousin. Just because she married you doesn’t mean her cousin can marry me."

"This... there must be some misunderstanding," Staff Officer Xu frowned.

"There’s no misunderstanding," Qin Yizhou said. "If you don’t believe me, ask around. When I took my wife and son to the canteen, your wife was making catty comments. I never even went on one date with her cousin, never interacted with her, and never wronged your family."

Seeing Qin Yizhou’s cold expression, Staff Officer Xu still found it hard to believe. "You sure your wife didn't get the wrong idea?"

Staff Officer Xu was convinced Song Fenglan must have said something to Qin Yizhou—otherwise, why would he bring this up?

"No misunderstanding," Qin Yizhou emphasized. "I can see and hear just fine. I’m telling you this now to spare us all worse trouble down the road."

"There must be a mistake," Staff Officer Xu insisted. "I know my wife. She's shy as a mouse and minds her Ps and Qs—she wouldn’t dare spread nonsense."

He waved his hand dismissively, refusing to believe his wife could say such things.

"How about this—bring your wife and son over for dinner, and we’ll talk it out," Staff Officer Xu suggested.

"Like I'd put them through that?" Qin Yizhou said. "If you choose to believe your wife, fine—she's your ball and chain. But let me make this clear: I won’t stand for anyone messing with my wife and son. Whether she’s your wife or not, that’s my stance. Do you really know what kind of person your wife is?"

Qin Yizhou turned and left. As Qin walked away, Staff Officer Xu got a sinking feeling.

He knew Qin Yizhou never shot his mouth off without cause. He had assumed it wasn’t a big deal, that Song Fenglan was making a federal case out of nothing. Staff Officer Xu believed men shouldn’t get dragged into hen fights.

But seeing Qin walk away like this unsettled him. In all his years with Shi Guilan, no one had ever spoken to him like this.

What Staff Officer Xu didn’t know was that others had been too afraid to say anything. Many wives considered these conflicts between women trivial, not worth troubling their husbands about. Others bit their tongues and took it due to Staff Officer Xu’s position. If Shi Guilan bullied them, they gritted their teeth and endured it.

Given this, it was understandable that Staff Officer Xu didn’t know about Shi Guilan’s actions. Shi Guilan was part of the Revolutionary Committee and had her daily tasks, but she only ever spoke of her good deeds, never her missteps. Moreover, since most people here were military personnel or their families, Shi Guilan didn’t dare go too far. She couldn’t just ship military families off to farm labor—if she ever tried, not only would the military leadership reprimand her, but her own husband would also call her out.

Shi Guilan often talked about how she helped other families in need, emphasizing how hard she worked to do good.

In the evening, when Staff Officer Xu returned home, he saw Shi Guilan busy cooking, the house spotless—all thanks to her efforts. He didn’t want to believe that Shi Guilan would go out of her way to cause trouble for Qin Yizhou’s wife. He figured that since Qin’s wife had a bourgeois background—used to be a pampered rich girl—perhaps she was the one with a bad temper.

"Have you met Commander Qin’s wife?" Staff Officer Xu asked.

"Yes," Shi Guilan replied. "No surprise Commander Qin’s taken with her—she’s a real looker. We don’t have anyone here who looks like her. If someone said she’d never had kids, people would believe it. She doesn’t look like she’s had kids—more like some fresh-faced girl."

She was careful how she worded it, wondering if someone had spoken ill of her to her husband.

Staff Officer Xu listened but couldn’t detect any malice in his wife’s words toward Commander Qin’s wife.

"Does your cousin have a partner yet?" he asked.

"Not yet," Shi Guilan said. "She’s pretty, got a nice shape, and can dance. I wanted to find her a good match. Back then, everyone—not just me—figured he was single. That’s why… Well, it was all a misunderstanding. I don’t know if Commander Qin’s wife knows about it. Bet someone’s already filled her in—women fixate on this stuff."

Afraid of upsetting her husband, Shi Guilan admitted her mistake, hoping it would soften his reaction.

"No need to stir up trouble," Staff Officer Xu said. "It’s not worth causing misunderstandings."

"I didn’t," Shi Guilan sighed. "I just figured my cousin’s pretty, got a nice shape, and can dance. I wanted to find her a good match. If Commander Qin wasn’t a good man, I wouldn’t have considered pairing them in the first place."

"Good, that’s fine then," Staff Officer Xu said. "Qin Yizhou came to see me today. He claimed you’ve been hassling his wife and kid. I told him you’re not that kind of person—it must be a misunderstanding. Still, be more careful. Don’t give people the wrong impression."

"Of course, I won’t let them misunderstand," Shi Guilan nodded. "You know me—I’m from the countryside. Folks sneer at me, act like I’ve got nothing right. I don’t know how to sweet-talk or flatter others. I… well…"

"Ma, I’m starving!" Her son drummed his chopsticks on the bowl, whining. "Hungry, hungry, I’m hungry!"

"Almost ready," Shi Guilan quickly replied, placing the stir-fried dishes on the table before dishing out rice.

She served her husband and son first, then glanced at her two stepdaughters before filling their bowls as well.

When her husband was home, Shi Guilan made sure the stepdaughters did less work, doing more herself to keep him happy.

But when he wasn’t around, she’d snap: *"What, you got no arms? Need me to chew your food for you too?"*

"Husband, if there’s anything I’m doing wrong, just tell me. I’ll change if I can," Shi Guilan said. "I want to do better, be more like those educated women. But I’m just coarse, no polish to me. People sneer at me, so I can only work harder."

"If you haven’t done anything wrong, there’s no need to change," Staff Officer Xu said. "Qin Yizhou’s wrapped around his wife’s finger."

He didn’t criticize Song Fenglan further—as a man, he didn’t think it was his place to meddle in such matters. Women’s squabbles were women’s business.

"Of course he is," Shi Guilan said. "His wife and kid just got here—he’s over the moon."

As she served her husband more food, she thought to herself that Song Fenglan had actually made Qin Yizhou confront Staff Officer Xu. *No shame in her game, huh?* Shi Guilan believed Song Fenglan was the type of woman who relied entirely on her husband, unable to resolve conflicts the way women should.

Meanwhile, at another dinner table, Qin Yizhou recounted his conversation with Staff Officer Xu. That morning, he’d told them not to wait up for him at dinner. Yet coming home, he saw the food untouched—they’d waited after all.

Song Fenglan wasn’t deliberately waiting for him. The boy had napped and nibbled earlier, so he wasn’t starving. She’d held off on dinner and, unsure if Qin Yizhou would return, had prepared a portion for him as well.

"Don’t go hungry on my account. Sometimes I come back late," Qin Yizhou said.

"It’s not even 6:30 yet," Song Fenglan replied. "If you hadn’t come back soon, we would’ve started without you."

She would never let their son go hungry waiting for Qin Yizhou. "If you’d skipped dinner, we’d have warmed up your share for Zi Hang."

In this heat, food wouldn’t last till morning.

Song Fenglan didn’t mind letting her son eat more since he was growing and needed extra snacks now and then.

"Most of the time, I come back for meals," Qin Yizhou said. "If I return very late, I’ll probably eat at the mess hall."

"Alright," Song Fenglan nodded.

"Dad, someone was throwing a fit on the ground," Qin Zihang spoke up, thinking of Granny Fang sitting on the floor. He couldn’t help but tell his father about it.

"She was just lying on the ground," Song Fenglan explained. "Old Lady Fang."

"Did... you go over to see?" Qin Zihang asked.

"The noise was so loud, how could we not hear it?" Song Fenglan said. "Auntie Fatty was still at our place then, and her son took off running as soon as he heard the ruckus."

"Dad, someone bullied Mom," Qin Zihang clenched his little fists, still remembering the incident. "That person blocked Mom and me, not letting us go home. She’s awful!"

"Who?" Qin Yizhou frowned. "Staff Officer Xu’s wife?"

"It was her," Song Fenglan hadn’t expected Qin Zihang to say it before she could. She wasn’t the type to keep things bottled up and had planned to tell Qin Yizhou about it later.

Qin Zihang was truly her son—Song Fenglan felt a swell of pride.

"That woman’s downright weird. When you’re married, that’s it," Song Fenglan said. "She’s probably still thinking about her cousin."

Song Fenglan let out a scornful laugh. Shi Guilan thought she could walk all over her like she was nothing, but Song Fenglan would never bow her head. If she gave in once, she’d be bullied endlessly.

These weren’t the old times anymore. Things had changed, and there were opportunities now.

"I gave it to her straight," Song Fenglan said. "I won’t tolerate her."

"She probably keeps up her little act in front of you and another one in front of her husband," Qin Yizhou remarked. "I spoke to her husband today—Staff Officer Xu. He made excuses for her, calling it all a misunderstanding."

"She’s good? So I’m the bad one?" Song Fenglan raised an eyebrow and sneered. "How perfect—a husband who doesn’t believe his wife but trusts others."

"She’s bad, a big meanie who picks on Mom and me!" Qin Zihang declared.

"If you run into her again and she mistreats you, don’t hold back," Qin Yizhou said.

"Of course we won’t," Song Fenglan said, loading up her son’s plate. "If she wants to keep up her little act in front of her husband, let her. If she’s so capable, let her husband come to me or go to you."

"I won’t side with them," Qin Yizhou said. Staff Officer Xu claimed to know his wife well, but Qin Yizhou knew his own wife even better.

"Even though men shouldn’t stick their noses into women’s business, this whole thing started because of you," Song Fenglan said. "I don’t care how you handle it, but don’t expect me to back down."

"I’m not asking you to," Qin Yizhou wouldn’t dare, nor had he ever considered it. "No need to play nice. If they don’t respect us, we don’t owe them any courtesy."

Someone who dared to talk trash about his wife in front of him—Qin Yizhou couldn’t possibly think well of Shi Guilan. He didn’t regret what he’d said to Staff Officer Xu. The excuse that ‘men shouldn’t interfere’ crap was just an excuse. If his wife was wronged, why stay silent? Just because he was a man, should he hide and let her handle it alone?

Qin Yizhou was anxious that Song Fenglan might be upset. His wife had just barely started living with him on base.

"At least we don’t live too close to her," Song Fenglan said. "Just wait. I’ve heard she’s burned plenty of bridges."

Song Fenglan spoke bluntly—the Revolutionary Committee’s power was already fading, and soon it would be abolished entirely. Back when Shi Guilan was part of it, she’d dodged being shipped off to the countryside but had offended many people. Some of those people had married soldiers, and others would eventually be rehabilitated. Did Shi Guilan really think they’d give her a free pass?

She didn’t know how to stay out of trouble. Sooner or later, she’d get what’s coming to her.

"No need to wait for others to deal with her. If we’re unhappy, we’ll take care of it ourselves," Qin Yizhou said, looking at Qin Zihang. "You look out for your mom, you hear?"

"Mm-hmm, I'm a big boy, I'll protect Mommy." Qin Zihang's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Daddy, are you going to change your name?"

"Change my name?" Qin Yizhou looked puzzled.

"Yeah, change the character 'one' in your name," Qin Zihang said. "If you add a stroke to 'one,' it turns into 'two.' Add one more stroke, and it becomes 'three.' Your name will keep changing!"

"He wanted to change his name to Qin Yiyi—'one one'—because the character 'one' is easy to write," Song Fenglan explained. "But I told him, 'one one' could become 'two two,' then 'three three,' even 'ten ten.' So he gave up on changing his own name and now wants you to change yours."

"Daddy's name was given by your grandpa. It's been used for a long time and shouldn't be changed," Qin Yizhou said seriously. "Your name, Zi Hang, is really special and one-of-a-kind. It's not easy for anyone to change. Mommy picked the perfect name, and Daddy loves it very much."

As for what the Qin family thought about it, Qin Yizhou didn’t give it a second thought—this was his and Song Fenglan’s son.

"I like it too," Qin Zihang said proudly. "Daddy, wasn’t your name given by Mommy?"

"No, very few people have names given by their mothers. It just shows how much both parents love you," Qin Yizhou said.

"Very few?" Qin Zihang asked again.

"Yes, very few," Qin Yizhou replied. "It's not bad—it makes you extra special. Both Mommy and Daddy love you very much."

"If Daddy’s name wasn’t given by Daddy’s mommy, did Daddy’s mommy love you?" Qin Zihang pressed.

"She loved me in her own way," Qin Yizhou said.

"But not as much as Mommy loves me," Qin Zihang said with a secret smile. "I’m Mommy’s favorite baby."

"Yes, you’re not just Mommy’s favorite baby, but also Daddy’s favorite baby," Qin Yizhou said.

Hearing this, Qin Zihang grinned even wider.

"Hurry up and eat," Song Fenglan teased. "If you take too long, your food will get cold before you finish."

"I’m eating, I’m eating!" Qin Zihang quickly scooped up rice with his little spoon. He managed just fine on his own.

"Slow down—it's not a race," Song Fenglan said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Taking big bites might make you choke, understand?"

"I don't want to make Mommy sad by choking," Qin Zihang said. "Then I’ll take small bites."

After that, he ate more slowly and carefully, taking small bites and sipping soup in between.

Qin Yizhou didn’t know how other children behaved, but Zhang Chenghai had mentioned his own kids being very mischievous. Qin Zihang, on the other hand, seemed such a good boy. For now, Qin Yizhou didn’t find his son troublesome at all—he thought he was quite a good boy. Those who haven’t spent much time raising children often don’t realize what a handful little kids can be.

"There's no rush," Song Fenglan said, watching her son eat bite by bite with relief.

After dinner, Qin Yizhou washed the dishes while Song Fenglan took Qin Zihang for a walk in the yard. The weeds had been cleared, leaving a large open space. Song Fenglan had bought some ginger and garlic, planning to plant them in the soil.

It wasn’t the right season for garlic to grow bulbs, but the garlic leaves would still be useful. Besides ginger and garlic, they could also plant scallions and chives—these were tough plants that practically grow themselves.

Qin Zihang held a small shovel, busy digging holes in the ground.

When Qin Yizhou stepped into the yard, he saw his son busy digging.

"Mommy, quick, put it in now!" Qin Zihang urged. "Hurry, hurry, before it knows what's happening!"

"Okay, dropping a garlic clove in the hole," Song Fenglan said. "Quietly, fast."

"Cover it with a little blanket," Qin Zihang said, sprinkling soil over it. "Be good and grow up strong, okay?"

"Planting garlic?" Qin Yizhou came closer.

"Yes," Song Fenglan nodded. "When you cleared the weeds, didn’t you also turn the soil? Planting some scallions, ginger, and garlic will make things much more convenient."

These items aren’t cheap, so growing some in the yard is quite practical.

Song Fenglan thought about making snacks for the child later, like crispy sesame flatbread, where these ingredients might come in handy. Besides flatbread, they could also be used for scallion pockets. Ginger could be used to make brown sugar ginger tea, and chives could be used for chive dumplings. Stir-frying dishes was out of the question—Song Fenglan wasn’t good at it, and her cooked dishes were far inferior to her pastries.

"When you have time someday, build a brick oven in the yard," Song Fenglan said. "We can roast sweet potatoes, bake bread, and make flatbread."

"You know how to do all that?" Qin Yizhou was surprised.

"I’m just bad at stir-frying, not at these things," Song Fenglan replied. "Kneading dough and seasoning adjustments were simpler—she could measure the ingredients and seasonings in advance. She could taste as she went and tweak the flavors. Most importantly, she didn’t have to worry about oil splattering or worry about heating oil."

"We can make some mantou instead of always buying them from the canteen," Song Fenglan said.

"Mom’s steamed buns are delicious," Qin Zihang chimed in. "Dad, have you even tried Mom’s steamed buns? Have you had her mung bean cakes? Have you had her—"

"We’ll have time later," Qin Yizhou cut him off before he could continue.

"Dad, you’ve never had Mom’s steamed buns, or her mung bean cakes, or her sweet and fragrant red bean bread," Qin Zihang said. "Soft, fluffy buns—tear them open, and they’re layered and sweet."

"..." Qin Yizhou’s lips twitched. His son sure knew how to brag. "If I hadn’t married your mom, you wouldn’t exist."

"Mom," Qin Zihang turned to his mother, "Dad really hasn’t eaten any of those delicious things."

"That’s right, he hasn’t. You got to eat them first," Song Fenglan said with amusement.

"Yeah, I ate tons of them!" Qin Zihang declared.

"Let me do it," Qin Yizhou reached for the small shovel—

"I’ll do it myself," Qin Zihang insisted.

"Let him. You’ve already turned the soil—he can just dig a few times," Song Fenglan said. "Let him play."

"It’s not playing, it’s farming," Qin Zihang corrected, emphasizing that he was doing something very important.

"Alright, farming," Song Fenglan agreed. "You’re doing something very serious."

Over at the Fang house, Gao Xiuxiu’s husband, Fang Xudong, returned home. He was exasperated when he heard what his mother had done. He couldn’t confront his mother, so he vented to his wife.

"Mom is afraid we’ll send her back," Fang Xudong said. "She didn’t mean to..."

"She didn’t mean to, but does that mean I did?" Gao Xiuxiu snapped. "I never said I wanted to send her back—she was the one who said that, and she even sat in the yard where Political Commissar Zhao’s household and many others could see her."

Gao Xiuxiu jabbed a finger at her cheek, teeth clenched. "My reputation’s shot. Everyone thinks I’m a vicious daughter-in-law, one who mistreats her mother-in-law. Everyone tells me to cut the old lady some slack. And you—you keep saying how hard it is for your mom, but just because I’m young, I’m supposed to take it?"

"Don’t be angry," Fang Xudong placated her. "It’s all in the past now."

"In the past?" Gao Xiuxiu retorted. "You hardly make ends meet as it is, and you still send money to your brother. If you didn’t have to support him, I wouldn’t have to go out and work to make ends meet."

Gao Xiuxiu truly had no choice. Though she only had one daughter and no other children, the household expenses were far from light. She barely gave her parents anything—not monthly, just during holidays or when something urgent came up.

And yet, her mother-in-law still constantly accused her of favoring her own family. Gao Xiuxiu choked back frustration—it’s not like her parents never helped her.

If Gao Xiuxiu’s parents had been able to come, and if Fang Xudong hadn’t repeatedly insisted on bringing his mother over, she’d never have allowed her mother-in-law to move in.

Now, Gao Xiuxiu thought that as a daughter-in-law, she should live separately from her mother-in-law—they shouldn’t stay under the same roof.

“The child is fine now,” Fang Xudong said. “Mom didn’t mean to, she—”

“I didn’t say she did it on purpose,” Gao Xiuxiu retorted. “You weren’t home, so you didn’t see her rolling on the ground, making a scene. So many people saw it. If you’re not embarrassed, I am. To settle things, I even signed an agreement—as long as she doesn’t agree, I can’t force her to leave.”

Gao Xiuxiu felt suffocated inside. Everyone advised her, saying that as a daughter-in-law, she should be more tolerant of her mother-in-law, more filial, and that the child’s drowning incident was just an accident. Of course, Gao Xiuxiu knew it was an accident, but it was one that could have been completely avoided.

The child was so tiny, not even a year old, and could hardly walk steadily.

“Fine, I won’t make her leave,” Gao Xiuxiu said, her eyes red. “Now it’s perfect—everyone believes I mistreat my mother-in-law, that I’m the one making things hard for her.”

“Enough,” Fang Xudong said. “Mom’s a widow. She’s insecure, she—”

“You always say your mom’s a widow, that she has it hard,” Gao Xiuxiu snapped. “Money never seems to trouble her, or helping your brother take care of his kids. It’s only hard when she helps us with ours. Your salary has to support your mom and your brother’s whole family.”

“My brother’s going through a rough patch now, but things will get better in a few years,” Fang Xudong said. “Let’s drop it. Don’t let Mom hear.”

“Let her hear it if she wants,” Gao Xiuxiu said. “Your mom can stay here if she wants. Like I could actually make her leave?”

Fang Xudong had a headache. He stayed home for a short while before leaving, unwilling to listen to his wife’s complaints or his mother’s grievances. Caught in between, he was miserable.

Seeing Fang Xudong leave, Gao Xiuxiu didn’t chase after him or stop him. She knew how her husband was—when conflicts arose between her and her mother-in-law, he preferred to avoid them rather than solve anything.

As Fang Xudong passed the Qin household, he saw the family of three chatting and laughing while planting in the yard, which made him feel even more bitter. He used to think Qin Tuan had it rough, but now, reflecting on it, Qin Tuan’s life wasn’t so bad after all. Waiting until the child’s older to join the military family meant fewer troubles.

Song Fenglan quickly noticed someone standing outside. She nudged Qin Yizhou’s arm and whispered, “Who’s that outside?”

“I’ll see,” Qin Yizhou said.

As Qin Yizhou approached the door, Fang Xudong was about to leave. The two knew each other—they weren’t strangers.

“Qin Tuan,” Fang Xudong greeted when Qin Yizhou stepped out.

“You’re…?” Qin Yizhou paused, recalling what his wife had mentioned about Fang Xudong’s mother sitting on the ground.

“Just out walking,” Fang Xudong said. “Just walking around.”

“Then go ahead,” Qin Yizhou said, closing the door and returning to his wife and son. He didn’t invite Fang Xudong in. Qin Yizhou had no intention of listening to Fang Xudong’s grievances—other people’s family matters were their own business. If they didn’t bring it up, he wouldn’t pry.

Song Fenglan had expected Qin Yizhou to invite Fang Xudong in, but he came back after just a few words. “No further chat?”

“I’m not their therapist. They have to face their own struggles and move forward,” Qin Yizhou said. “We’ve all got our own families!”

“Not small,” Qin Zihang chimed in. “Bigger than Great-Aunt’s place. Big rooms, all big!”

Song Fenglan and her son had lived as guests in cramped quarters, their room cluttered with odds and ends. After giving birth, Great-Aunt Yu had cleared some of the mess, but Song Fenglan had bought many baby items, filling the space again. Even after they left, some things remained, which Song Fenglan had asked Great-Aunt Yu to handle.

Now, Great-Aunt Yu’s daughter, Jiang Yufei, was eyeing those things. She asked her mother, “Mom, aren’t you going to clean out that room? I heard Song Fenglan doesn’t want those things anymore. What’ll you do with them?”