Chapter 22: Rehabilitation, No Second Thoughts

Chapter 22: Clearing Names with Wholehearted Devotion

"You're not mommy's little sweetheart? Then who is?" Song Fenglan crouched slightly, ruffling her son's hair. "Aunt Su can take care of you, and you can still come back. She might not feel comfortable going into your parents’ room, but your little room is much better. Your clothes and blanket are all here. When Aunt Su takes care of you and needs something, she can just take it from here."

"You really scared me!" Qin Zihang patted his chest. "I thought you were making me sleep here."

"..." Qin Yizhou actually wanted his son to sleep alone, but with both him and his wife working, it would probably take some time before the boy could sleep by himself.

The next morning, Mrs. Su indeed came to pick up Qin Zihang, who was just sitting down to eat.

"Next time, let Hangbao come to my place for meals," Mrs. Su said. "I made breakfast and just set it on the table to cool. You two go to work—no need to fix breakfast just for him."

"We got ours from the canteen," Song Fenglan replied. She certainly hadn’t gotten up early to cook.

"Buying from the canteen saves you the trouble—working all day and then coming home to chores is tiring," Mrs. Su sighed.

Song Fenglan handed the house keys to Mrs. Su and explained about the room. Qin Zihang’s clothes were all in the wardrobe there, so Mrs. Su could easily fetch them without needing to buy more.

"You’re so thoughtful," Mrs. Su said. "Don’t worry, I’ve got it handled."

"No need to keep thanking me!" Mrs. Su replied. "Go on, get to work. I’ll take care of Hangbao."

"Alright." Song Fenglan nodded.

Shi Guilan invited people over for dinner, intending to matchmake her cousin with Yue Hongwei. Yue had previously helped Qin Yizhou and his wife tidy their yard. He had served in the military for years, though his rank was lower than Qin Yizhou’s, he was still a company commander.

Yue Hongwei knew Li Hui had a crush on Qin Yizhou, so he wasn’t keen on this blind date. But Staff Officer Xu had talked him into coming, saying he might change his mind after meeting her.

Seated at the table, Li Hui remained silent, clearly unimpressed with Yue Hongwei. His complexion was darker than Qin Yizhou’s, and his rank was inferior too.

"This is my cousin. You’ve met before—she’s in the cultural troupe," Shi Guilan said, noticing her cousin’s silence. She gave Li Hui a subtle kick under the table. "I think you two would make a good match."

"..." Yue Hongwei also didn’t feel like talking. A good match? He couldn’t disagree more.

"Just give it a chance," Staff Officer Xu suggested.

"Staff Officer Xu," Yue Hongwei gritted his teeth. "I just remembered—I have training to attend. I should go."

After a few bites, Yue Hongwei quickly stood up to leave. The mood was painfully awkward, and Li Hui clearly had no interest in engaging with him.

He hadn’t liked Li Hui to begin with, and meeting her hadn’t changed his mind about needing to marry her.

"Stay a little longer," Staff Officer Xu urged.

"No, I’m leaving." Yue Hongwei got up and walked out.

Li Hui’s eyes reddened. Before Yue Hongwei had even left, she bolted out.

"..." This baffled Yue Hongwei. First, she wouldn’t talk, and now she was the one running away.

"Sit down and eat," Staff Officer Xu repeated.

"I’m good," Yue Hongwei hurried off, regretting he’d listened to Staff Officer Xu in the first place.

Li Hui’s blind date with Yue Hongwei had failed. She considered herself the star of the cultural troupe and had expected Yue to fall for her effortlessly—that he’d flatter her. Instead, he’d been quick to leave.

Shi Guilan chased after her...

She clearly hadn’t expected her cousin to just bolt like that.

"Why’d you take off like that?" Shi Guilan chased her downstairs.

"Was I supposed to stick around and get humiliated?" Li Hui wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"He said he had training..."

"He was lying. If he really had training, why’d he show up?" Li Hui retorted. "He just didn’t want to be with me."

"Well..." Shi Guilan could also sense Yue Hongwei's disinterest—he simply didn’t want Li Hui. "If this guy’s no good, we’ll find another."

"..." Li Hui bit her lip.

"Plenty of fish in the sea—why settle for him?" Shi Guilan said. "We’ll find you someone eventually."

After Li Hui’s blind date fell through, people who heard about it mocked her behind her back.

"Bet she’s into married men—waiting for the wife to croak in childbirth, just like her cousin."

"Both of ’em are trash."

"What else would you expect from those two?"

...

People talked trash about Shi Guilan and Li Hui, saying they’re two peas in a pod.

Shi Guilan stopped going out much—everyone was talking about her and her cousin. She kept nagging Li Hui to quit being so choosy and just tie the knot already, or else things would only get harder.

Staff Officer Xu wasn’t lying—he had called his former mother-in-law, Granny Cao. Upon hearing about the trouble Shi Guilan had stirred up, Granny Cao swore she’d come straight over and look after her granddaughters right. As a relative of Shi Guilan’s, she assured them she wouldn’t let the two girls be mistreated.

Three days later, Granny Cao showed up with her bags, knowing exactly where Staff Officer Xu’s home was.

When Shi Guilan answered the door, Granny Cao barely glanced at her.

"Auntie," Shi Guilan said, using the hometown term.

Granny Cao ignored her and went straight to see her granddaughters.

"..." Shi Guilan stood there awkwardly.

"Well?" Granny Cao snapped. "I’ve just arrived, and you can’t even offer me a glass of water?"

"Right away." Shi Guilan scrambled to get her water.

"I used to think you were alright. Who knew you’d... y’know, stir up all this drama," Granny Cao scoffed.

"It was all a misunderstanding," Shi Guilan said.

"Oh, it’s all just a big misunderstanding?" Granny Cao retorted. "Do you think people are fools?"

"I—"

"Zip it," Granny Cao cut in. "Folks like you—all meek till you get power, then you turn into a bully."

"That’s a lie." Shi Guilan dug in her heels.

"Don’t play dumb," Granny Cao shot back. "You know full well what you’ve done. Your husband told me everything—how you mistreated your two stepdaughters and even bullied other military wives. You’ve dragged the Shi name through the mud. Back when my daughter was around, she got along just fine—never stirred the pot like this."

"When your daughter was here, that person hadn't arrived yet," Shi Guilan said. "This matter can't be blamed on me, it's—"

"Always someone else’s fault, never yours," Granny Cao rolled her eyes. "You think I’m dumb or something?"

With Granny Cao's arrival, Shi Guilan couldn’t just do as she pleased anymore. Now she had to buy groceries and cook meals, and of course, Granny Cao made sure her own flesh and blood got more to eat. As for Shi Guilan's son, he wasn’t related to Granny Cao at all.

They were family in name, but barely.

At the dinner table, Granny Cao served her granddaughters extra portions. The two girls glanced at Shi Guilan, and Granny Cao said, "She’s nothing but a wicked stepmom to you. When you grow up, you don’t have to be filial to her. She has her own biological son."

"..." Shi Guilan felt a pang in her heart.

"You’re skin and bones—eat up!" Granny Cao told her granddaughters, then shot a cold look at Shi Guilan. "Look how big she’s gotten—piling on the pounds."

Granny Cao even had the nerve to say this stuff in front of Staff Officer Xu. She even took her two granddaughters out to play. The girls, Xu Chunhua and Xu Xiahua, hardly said a word.

Song Fenglan had just picked up Qin Zihang from Mrs. Su when she happened to run into Granny Cao taking the two girls out for a stroll. It was Song Fenglan’s first time seeing Granny Cao, and she didn’t yet know that Staff Officer Xu had brought his late wife’s mother over.

Not just Granny Cao—Song Fenglan barely knew anyone else around here.

"That’s Battalion Commander Qin’s wife," someone who knew Granny Cao pointed out. Granny Cao had visited before, and some people were on good terms with her.

"So it’s my son-in-law’s new wife who’s green with envy," Granny Cao remarked. "Now there’s a real beauty—puts Shi Guilan to shame."

"But jealousy’s no excuse for screwing people over," someone else chimed in.

"Exactly. If it weren’t for that, my son-in-law wouldn’t have called me over," Granny Cao said. "I originally thought it’d be weird for me, the ex-mother-in-law, to show up. But who knew Shi Guilan would bully others and even mistreat the two girls? That’s why my son-in-law asked me to come. What else could I do? Someone had to watch the kids."

"Yes, yes, you had to come," the others agreed.

Granny Cao kept her distance—no point stirring the pot. The trouble was all Shi Guilan’s doing, and Granny Cao believed it had nothing to do with her or her granddaughters. There was no reason to go up to Song Fenglan.

Granny Cao figured Song Fenglan probably wanted nothing to do with them either. If it were her, she wouldn’t bother either.

"Shi Guilan takes everyone for suckers," Granny Cao said. "She’s got a screw loose."

She didn’t mince words, consequences be damned. She wanted everyone to know she saw through Shi Guilan’s foolishness and regretted ever letting her son-in-law marry her.

"Mom," Qin Zihang overheard Granny Cao’s words, "who is that person?"

"Never mind who she is," Song Fenglan replied. "If these people invite you to play, don’t go, understand? Just listen to your auntie and don’t wander off. Just ‘cause you know ‘em doesn’t mean you tag along."

Some traffickers first move in next door, acting like friendly neighbors, only to abduct children later. Folks let their guard down around people they know, not realizing the danger.

"I won’t listen to them," Qin Zihang said. "Mom, you’ve been coming home really late lately. Dad comes back even later than you."

"Are you unhappy about that?" Song Fenglan asked.

"I kinda miss you," Qin Zihang admitted. "You used to come home earlier."

"Mom’s gotta hustle. Your grandparents haven’t returned home yet." Song Fenglan wanted to push herself so her parents could return to the city sooner.

She had to show her value, make ‘em see she was worth keeping around...

"Mom’s got your best at heart too," Song Fenglan said.

"We going back?" Qin Zihang asked.

"We’ll go back someday," Song Fenglan replied.

"I'm staying with Mommy." Qin Zihang held tightly onto Song Fenglan's hand. "Mommy, I know my numbers now!"

"Good job, sweetie." Song Fenglan said.

"One plus one equals two, two plus two equals four." Qin Zihang said. "Granny says I'm really smart."

"You are very smart." Song Fenglan chuckled. "Keep it up, kiddo."

Song Fenglan didn’t tell her son to be humble or that he wasn’t good enough. In her eyes, her son was clever and doing very well. Parents who nitpick easily make their kids feel inferior and timid.

"Xiao Hu tried to sneak off with our dog, but I saw him." Qin Zihang said.

"Oh?" Song Fenglan was puzzled.

"He was tiptoeing off with the pup, but I saw him and shouted." Qin Zihang said. "Xiao Hu said he was going to groom the puppy."

"And then?" Song Fenglan asked.

"His mom whacked his butt." Qin Zihang said. "Whap! Whap! Right on his behind!"

"Hmm?" Song Fenglan wondered if Zhang Xiaohu had swiped something to groom the puppy. "Did he swipe his mom’s comb?"

"Yes, Mommy, how did you know?" Qin Zihang said. "Xiao Hu said he was going to take the puppy home to groom it and then bring it back. If he did it sneaky-like, no one would notice."

"What about you? Tell me you didn’t use my good comb on the dog." Song Fenglan asked.

"No." Qin Zihang shook his head. "Granny had an extra—she let me use her little comb."

Mrs. Su’s comb was ancient, missing a few teeth. She let Qin Zihang have it for fun.

"Granny said not to put the comb in my mouth. After brushing hair, no licking!" Qin Zihang said. "I didn’t even lick it!"

In this regard, Qin Zihang wasn’t too curious—he listened well to his elders.

"When Xiao Hu’s mom was spanking him, he tried to run but couldn’t escape." Qin Zihang said. "He zigzagged around, even hid behind me, but it was no use. His mom caught him right away—Whap! Whap! Whap!"

Qin Zihang acted it out, all dramatic.

Shi Guilan finished washing up at home. Afterward, she glanced at Staff Officer Xu sitting in the living room.

"Did your cousin sort things out?" Staff Officer Xu asked.

"Not yet." Shi Guilan said.

"Get it settled soon." Staff Officer Xu said. "With how your cousin acts, many people are afraid of her. If she keeps delaying, it’ll only get harder later."

"I’ve talked to her." Shi Guilan said. "We’ll get it settled as soon as possible."

"Hmm." Staff Officer Xu nodded.

"Auntie, she—"

"What about her?" Staff Officer Xu asked.

"It’s... nothing." Shi Guilan wanted to say something bad about Granny Cao, but Staff Officer Xu clearly didn’t think there was anything wrong with her. If Shi Guilan kept complaining, she might just annoy him.

"Mom came to help take care of the kids. Pitch in more." Staff Officer Xu said. "She’s not your mom, but show respect—call her Auntie. Mom’s always on top of things—you should learn from her. Everyone raves about her. Even back home, folks still praise her."

"..." Shi Guilan thought, what good could Granny Cao possibly have? These people treat her like a servant or a babysitter.

Song Fenglan and her son got home, and Zhang Xiaohu came running up again. Zhang Xiaohu had angered his mom once more and, afraid she'd spank him, took off running.

"Go on, run then!" Auntie Fatty said, coming out with a bamboo strip.

Zhang Xiaohu hid behind Song Fenglan and peeked out slightly. "I wasn’t lying! Your food’s no good—Auntie’s is way better!"

"You’re stuck with me as your mom!" Auntie Fatty retorted.

"Is the kid not eating?" Song Fenglan asked.

"It’s not that he’s not eating—he eats and then badmouths the cook!" Auntie Fatty said. "He even asked me when we could cook together, splitting the work between our two families. Look at him, no manners at all—who even asks that?"

"We’re swamped as it is," Song Fenglan said. "We’d have to wait until the holidays to knead dough and make baked cakes."

"I want to eat baked cakes," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"Tell your dad to build an oven, and we’ll make them ourselves," Auntie Fatty said, too embarrassed to ask Song Fenglan to do it.

"But your cooking isn’t good, Mom," Zhang Xiaohu said. "It’s nasty—I can barely choke it down!"

"Could’ve fooled me—you cleaned your plate!" Auntie Fatty had no way to handle her younger son. Her elder son was well-behaved and obedient, while the younger one was always causing trouble. "Fenglan, don’t mind him. That’s just how he is."

Auntie Fatty worried Song Fenglan might misunderstand that they were asking her to help with cooking—she had no such intention. She had told Zhang Xiaohu many times that their family and Qin Zihang’s were two separate households, not one, and they couldn’t keep bothering others. Song Fenglan had to work and barely had time to take care of her own child, so how could Auntie Fatty possibly ask her to cook for hers?

"I’m really sorry," Auntie Fatty said. "I’ve told him several times, but he’s still like this."

She was mortified, her face burning. Her younger son was just so inconsiderate.

"It’s fine," Song Fenglan said, sensing Auntie Fatty’s discomfort. She wasn’t using her child’s words to manipulate Song Fenglan into doing things. Auntie Fatty was right—kids will be kids—they don’t know any better.

Song Fenglan didn’t think Zhang Xiaohu’s liveliness was a bad thing. Kids ought to be lively. She glanced at her own son, who was perhaps a little too well-behaved.

"Mom’s tired, won’t do it," Qin Zihang said.

"Do you want to eat baked cakes?" Song Fenglan asked.

"Kinda... not really," Qin Zihang said. He did like baked cakes, especially the ones with pickled vegetables and fragrant black sesame seeds on top.

"We’ll bake some this weekend," Song Fenglan said.

"We should do it together!" Zhang Xiaohu shouted.

"No need to do it together. When the time comes, your aunt can teach me," Auntie Fatty said. "Go tell your dad to get that oven built. Otherwise, when your aunt wants to make baked cakes, we won’t have the tools and won’t be able to do it."

"Hey, Zhang Chenghai! Zhang Chenghai!" Zhang Xiaohu yelled. "Your wife wants you to build an oven! Zhang Chenghai! Zhang Chenghai!"

Auntie Fatty couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed Zhang Xiaohu and dragged him away. Since when do kids yell their dad’s full name?

Qin Zihang rubbed his ears—Xiao Hu’s mom was pulling Xiao Hu’s ears again.

"His ears’ll stretch out like that," Qin Zihang said.

"Not yours, though," Song Fenglan said.

"Xiao Hu’s still got ears," Qin Zihang said.

"Yeah, and he’s stuck with 'em," Song Fenglan said, taking her son’s hand as they headed home.

Qin Yizhou hadn't arrived home yet. It wasn’t until around nine in the evening that he returned. Sometimes when there were matters in the military, Qin Yizhou couldn’t be sure when he'd get back. By the time he arrived, Qin Zihang had just fallen asleep.

"Why is his hand on his ear?" Qin Yizhou wondered.

"He saw Auntie Fatty pulling Xiao Hu’s ear and got scared," Song Fenglan said. "He just asked why there are mothers like that."

There are many children in the world, and every child's mother is different.

Qin Zihang had been saying he didn’t want Xiao Hu’s mother to be his—he only wanted his own. Song Fenglan reassured him, telling him not to worry, that she was his mother and that would never change.

"His aunt treats him very well," Song Fenglan said. Mrs. Su doesn’t pull Qin Zihang’s ears.

When Granny Cao arrived at the residential area, it was like a stone dropping into a lake, sending ripples outward.

By the time Song Fenglan had time off, Qin Yizhou happened to be free too. The couple kneaded dough to make griddle cakes, and Auntie Fatty brought her own dough to learn from them. Their ingredients weren’t mixed together, and Auntie Fatty asked Song Fenglan to teach her how to season them.

"Shi Guilan hasn’t dared to come out much lately—she’s been much quieter," Auntie Fatty said. "The moment she steps out, her husband’s mother-in-law follows right after."

"Her husband’s mother-in-law?" Song Fenglan was puzzled.

"The mother of his first wife," Auntie Fatty explained. "With that elder around, Shi Guilan has settled down a lot."

"It’s good she’s settling down," Song Fenglan said.

"Are you going to go over?" Auntie Fatty asked. "Talk to her mother-in-law about her awful behavior?"

"No," Song Fenglan said. "If you step in dog poop, you don’t keep staring at it."

"True enough," Auntie Fatty agreed. "It won’t change a thing anyway. They’re still family, and we’re outsiders. They still have to live together—no one’s going to say harsh things outright. It’s all just pretending."

Song Fenglan didn’t confront Shi Guilan because she thought of her as dog poop. Arguing with someone like that would only leave you smelling bad. When you meet people like that, you should stay away, wash off the filth, and not give it a chance to cling to you.

Once the dough was ready, Song Fenglan had already stir-fried the pickled vegetables and sesame seeds. Auntie Fatty watched her do it so she could try it herself later.

Both sides baked some flatbreads, and Xiao Hu came over holding two of his mother’s cakes, wanting to swap with Qin Zihang. Xiao Hu thought his mother’s cakes weren’t good—some parts were charred, clearly burnt. Looking at Song Fenglan’s cakes, even before taking a bite, he could tell they were crispy.

Qin Zihang directly stuffed one of his cakes into Xiao Hu’s mouth. "No need to swap, here’s one for you."

"So good!" Xiao Hu took a bite but still handed his two cakes to Qin Zihang. "I’ll eat your mom’s, and you try mine. Your mom’s cakes are good, mine aren’t, but they’re okay, right?"

"But you said your mom’s aren’t good," Qin Zihang didn’t want to eat them.

"Just leave them there," Song Fenglan said, exasperated. Auntie Fatty was nearby, and here these kids were talking about how bad her cakes were.

"Then let’s not eat mine," Xiao Hu said.

"Fine," Qin Zihang agreed. "My mom’s are better."

"Yeah, your mom’s are good. Can your mom be my mom too?" Xiao Hu asked.

"No," Qin Zihang refused firmly.

"You can’t share moms," Qin Zihang said seriously. "We’re each our mom’s special kid."

"No way! I have a brother, I’m not special," Xiao Hu took another bite of the cake. It was delicious.

The pickled vegetables were stir-fried with lard, making them extra fragrant. At that time, many people lacked oil in their diets, so they preferred lard.

Song Fenglan specifically used lard to give it a quick stir-fry, with Qin Yizhou watching by her side at the time. Qin Yizhou was still wondering whether the sour cabbage would turn out well, given Song Fenglan's earlier remark that her stir-frying wasn't particularly flavorful.

At that moment, Song Fenglan stated plainly: "The sour cabbage is flavorful enough as is—it doesn’t need much extra work from me."

Zhang Xiaohu’s older brother didn’t come over; he stayed where he was, munching on the griddle cakes his mother had made.

Then, Song Fenglan asked Zhang Xiaohu to take one over for his brother to try. Zhang Xiaohu carried Song Fenglan’s griddle cake over and said, "Brother, eat Mom’s griddle cake—it tastes like Mom’s cooking. Don’t eat..."

Zhang Xiaohu’s brother snatched the griddle cake from his hands and took a huge bite right in front of him.

"Ah! Bro, how could you take a bite? You took one bite, so the rest is mine—give it to me!" Zhang Xiaohu protested.

"It’s got my slobber on it," Zhang Wen said.

"I don’t care! You’re my brother—I don’t mind!" Zhang Xiaohu reached out to grab the griddle cake back from his brother.

Auntie Fatty looked at the griddle cake she had made and shoved it into her husband’s hands, urging him to try it.

"It’s alright," Zhang Chenghai said. He had always eaten his wife’s cooking—as long as it was edible, he’d eat it.

"Just alright? Look how much our two sons dislike what I make," Auntie Fatty sighed. "Before, they never complained. But now, with Auntie’s cooking to compare, they prefer hers."

"Just switching things up sometimes," Song Fenglan remarked.

The two families talked over the fence, and Auntie Fatty couldn’t help but feel resigned. Even with the same ingredients, her cooking always turned out slightly worse. Even if they were cooked at the same time, the cooking time made a slight difference.

After making the griddle cakes, Song Fenglan packed some into a woven bamboo basket to bring over for Mrs. Su and her husband to try.

"We’re heading to Auntie’s house. Do you want to stay home or come along?" Song Fenglan asked her son.

"I’ll stay home," Qin Zihang replied. "I’ll stay with Dad."

Qin Zihang had been staying at Mrs. Su’s place often, so he hadn’t seen much of his father lately. These past few days, his father had been coming home very late. Qin Zihang wanted to spend time with him and see him more.

"Mom can keep Auntie company—Auntie’s super nice," Qin Zihang said.

"Alright, Mom will keep Auntie company," Song Fenglan said, then reminded Qin Yizhou, "Keep an eye on him. The griddle cakes are still warm—don’t let him eat too much, or he might get constipated."

"I’ll watch him," Qin Yizhou assured her.

"Don’t let him wheedle you into giving him more," Song Fenglan added. "The egg tarts are ready too—he can have two of those."

"Mom, I’ll be good," Qin Zihang said innocently. It wasn’t about eating more—he just wanted to stay with his dad.

Song Fenglan had made about twenty egg tarts and planned to take six to the Su family. Since kids loved these treats, she had made extra while preparing food at home today.

When Mrs. Su saw Song Fenglan bringing so much food, she said, "No need to be so polite!"

"I made them myself," Song Fenglan replied. "My mother taught me how to make some pastries—these are the easiest kind."

Song Fenglan’s mother had taught her fancier pastries, while griddle cakes were relatively basic. Her mother had wanted her, as a modern woman, to have some culinary skills—something to spice things up in married life.

Back in the Song household, they had servants to do the cooking, so her mother rarely cooked. Still, she’d sometimes whip up a stir-fry or make pastries.

"Your mother must have been a wonderful person," Mrs. Su said.

"She was," Song Fenglan agreed.

"Don’t fret—rough patches don’t last," Mrs. Su said gently, giving Song Fenglan’s hand a reassuring pat.

"Did Uncle not come home?" Song Fenglan asked.

"He went back to the office again," Mrs. Su replied. "He had a last-minute idea and rushed back. He didn't even rest at home."

"Uncle bears heavy responsibilities," Song Fenglan said. "He must be at the forefront."

"Sometimes, I wish he were just an ordinary man," Mrs. Su sighed. "But then I remember the country needs people like him, so it's better that he remains exceptional."

Mrs. Su could endure loneliness and solitude—all for the sake of the nation, not for anything else. Her sacrifices were worth it.

"If your uncle were alive, he would have been the same," Mrs. Su said. "What a pity..."

Had Song Xingyun lived, the Song family wouldn’t have ended up like this.

"Uncle’s dream is my dream," Song Fenglan said.

Days slipped by, and soon half a month flew by. Before they knew it, late July arrived.

The anti-radar paint formula Song Fenglan had submitted was applied to fighter jets and indeed shielded them from radar detection. This stunned Professor Su and his team—the formula truly had such a significant effect.

Higher-ups couldn’t ignore Song Fenglan any longer. With everything that had happened that year, much had changed. The higher-ups also knew that Song Xingyun had been assassinated for returning to serve the country. Now, with Song Fenglan displaying such brilliance, they feared she might become the next target. They had to tighten her security.

The institute director sought out Song Fenglan and offered her a favor. "As long as it's within our power, we'll do it."

"Can my parents and elder brother return to the city?" Song Fenglan asked. "Can they be exonerated? Our family has always been loyal—no question."

No foreign country had such anti-radar paint—this formula couldn’t have been imported from abroad.

The higher-ups quickly realized this. Song Fenglan truly had talent.

The director had long known about Song Fenglan’s problematic background and that her parents and relatives were in reform farms. Given any opportunity, she sought to clear their names.

"I’ll report this matter to the higher-ups," the director said. "Comrade Song Fenglan, rest assured, the nation recognizes your contributions."

"Thank you for your trouble," Song Fenglan bowed to the director.

"Recently, others have also raised the issue of rehabilitation," the director said. "It’s inevitable. Since you’ve brought it up, we’ll do our best."

The director implied that Song Fenglan could ask for something else, but she had no other requests—only the exoneration of her family. Once that was done, their confiscated property would naturally be returned. Song Fenglan knew it might take months or even a year for the Song family to be rehabilitated, but without someone pushing for it, the process would be slower.

She was desperate to get her family off those farms. She had no elder sister, only brothers. If other relatives had suffered because of the Song family, they too would be cleared once the family’s name was restored.

While her family’s status remained unresolved, Song Fenglan didn’t speak of it to others.

The radar-evading jets equipped with anti-radar paint caught the attention of the national leadership. The higher-ups expedited the matter, reaching out to top authorities. The national leadership wrote four words in response: Pillars of the Nation.

Despite the tense climate, some things had to be addressed.

With the national leadership’s approval, Song Fenglan’s parents and others were allowed to return to the city. In less than a week, everything was settled. They were given back one house to live in, with the rest to follow gradually.

Song Fenglan’s parents never expected their return to happen so swiftly. At first, they thought the Qin family had intervened. But upon reflection, that didn’t make sense—if the Qins wanted to help, they’d have stepped in sooner. Qin Yizhou had occasionally sent supplies, but had the family’s stance changed now?

Once back in the city, Song Fenglan’s mother’s first thought was to call her daughter. Song Fenglan was at work, so she called home that evening.

"Did you beg your husband to have his family help us?" her mother asked.

"No," Song Fenglan replied. "They’d rather disown us than help. Don’t worry, Mom—it wasn’t the Qins. I met Uncle Su here, Professor Su. He brought me into the research institute, and I made a breakthrough. When the director offered me a favor, I said I wanted your names cleared and for you to return."

"You..." Her mother’s eyes welled up. "Did Professor Su let you take credit for his research?"

If that's the case, we owe Professor Su big time.

"No," said Song Fenglan. "It wasn’t Uncle who gave it to me. Mom, rest assured, it was my own genuine ability. The result of my hard work—don't worry, I didn’t take advantage of them or falsify anything. The institute is a secure facility, so I can’t tell you the details. But just remember, it was my own capability. Now that you’re back in the city, just relax. Take it easy. In a year or two, the policies will loosen up even more."

"Alright," Mother Song nodded. "What about the Qin family..."

"Mom, you don’t need to go to the Qin family," Song Fenglan said. "They’ve never really approved of me. If you go now, they’ll give you the cold shoulder. Even though you’ve been rehabilitated, it’s better to wait."

Things would improve significantly by October, and even more after the college admissions started up again in 1977, followed by the reform and opening up the next year. By then, the Song family wouldn’t have to lay so low.

"Mom, you’ve just returned from the farm—just focus on getting your strength back," Song Fenglan said. "And Eldest Brother and the others, now that you’re back in the city, should take some time to recover first."

"Alright, I understand," Mother Song replied. "You take care too. How’s Hangbao?"

"He’s at home, just fell asleep," Song Fenglan said. "Tomorrow, we’re having a phone line put in at home. After that, you can call us directly."

"Good, good." Tears welled up in Mother Song’s eyes, thinking of everything they’d been through all these years.

She had never imagined they could return to the city. She had even resigned herself to the idea that they might never come back. The stress had worn her down—though she was still better off than some, who couldn’t endure it and ended their own lives.

Thankfully, they had held on until their return.

The Song family’s return was a major event. Mother Song brought presents over to Aunt Yu’s, who had taken in Song Fenglan for so long. Naturally, she wanted to express her gratitude.

Early in the morning, when Aunt Yu saw Mother Song, she couldn’t help feeling guilty. She had taken many things from the Song family, yet Song Fenglan had never really settled in comfortably in her home and had even gone to live on base with her husband.

"Little Sister," Mother Song said without resentment, believing Aunt Yu had done her best.

Under those circumstances, Aunt Yu had sheltered Song Fenglan and even helped raise her child—that was really something. Many families would take what they could get and then pretend they didn’t know you.

"Our family has been rehabilitated," Mother Song said. "From now on, we’ll live in the capital. We got one of our old places back."

"Really?" Aunt Yu had initially wondered if her sister was just passing through. Hearing about the rehabilitation, she felt much more at ease. "That’s wonderful news. Does Fenglan know?"

"She does," Mother Song replied.

"Did the Qin family help you?" Aunt Yu asked. Many assumed the well-connected Qin family had intervened.

Mother Song shook her head. "Not them."

"If not them, then..."

"It was a friend of your brother-in-law’s eldest brother," Mother Song said, not bringing up Feng Lan’s own role in it. Some things were better left unsaid for now. The rehabilitation was what mattered most. "Just being able to return is enough."

"Fenglan went to live on base—she probably won’t be back anytime soon," Aunt Yu said.

"It’s good that she went," Mother Song replied. "Now that the family is recovering, when she returns, we’ll all be reunited. Thank you for looking after Fenglan and her child all this time."

"Don’t mention it—just did what I could," Aunt Yu said. "I didn’t do much, just simple things. If there’s anything I didn’t do well, I—"

"You did fine," Mother Song stopped her. "You’ve had it rough."

Aunt Yu’s eyes reddened. Mother Song understood—her sister had to deal with her mother-in-law and other in-laws. Life hadn’t been easy for her.

Meanwhile, Sister-in-law Qin, upon hearing about the Song family’s rehabilitation, didn’t know the full story. Her first thought was whether Father Qin had intervened. Such an act would require extensive connections—and with the current political turbulence, what’s he thinking sticking his neck out now?

"Has Dad lost his mind?" Sister-in-law Qin whispered to Eldest Brother Qin. "Helping the Song family like this—isn’t he afraid of dragging us down with them?"