Chapter 24: Reconciliation, Pillar of the Nation

Chapter 24: Pillars of the State

The telephone installers had no idea whether this was Regiment Commander Qin’s home. Their task was simply to install a telephone at Comrade Song Fenglan’s residence.

"Yes, this is Song Fenglan’s home," Qin Yizhou quickly ushered them in. "Right here."

"Understood," the installer replied.

As the workers proceeded with the installation, Zhang Xiaohu came running over.

"A telephone? Are you getting a telephone at your house?" Zhang Xiaohu knew about telephones—they were marvels. "We don’t even have one at our place yet."

"That’s right, we’re getting a telephone," Qin Zihang puffed out his chest proudly. "They’re installing it right now, and soon we’ll be able to use it."

"That’s something else!" Zhang Xiaohu’s eyes lit up as he turned to look at his parents.

Zhang Chenghai and his wife came over to take a look. A telephone—now that was something! Zhang Chenghai’s household didn’t have one yet. Though they held official posts, not every leader’s home had a telephone installed. To say Zhang Chenghai wasn’t envious would be a lie.

A telephone! With it, they wouldn’t have to go to the payphone to make calls or worry about others overhearing their conversations. At home, they could speak freely. It wasn’t just Zhang Chenghai who envied this—many others did too.

Not only did Zhang Chenghai and his wife come over, but Gao Xiuxiu and her husband also stopped by to take a look.

"Are they really installing a telephone?" Gao Xiuxiu asked.

"No doubt about it! The workers are already here, saying they’re installing it," Auntie Fatty mimicked the installer’s tone. "‘Is this Comrade Song Fenglan’s residence?’"

Auntie Fatty felt Song Fenglan had made them proud. The installers had come specifically for Song Fenglan—they hadn’t even asked, "Is this Regiment Commander Qin’s home?"

"Really?" Gao Xiuxiu lived a bit farther away and hadn’t noticed.

"Yes," Auntie Fatty confirmed. "But this telephone is for their family’s use. If we need to make calls, we’ll still have to go to the payphone."

Auntie Fatty had no intention of using Song Fenglan’s telephone. She worried that some people might take advantage, insisting on dropping by to use their phone. Calls were expensive—would those people even pay? And even if they did, would Qin Yizhou and his wife accept the money? Things could easily go wrong.

It’d be better if Qin Yizhou and his wife simply didn’t allow outsiders to use their phone in the first place. The telephone belonged to them, not to everyone else.

"Right, right," Gao Xiuxiu wasn’t thinking of taking advantage, but that didn’t mean her mother-in-law wouldn’t.

And it wasn’t just Gao Xiuxiu’s mother-in-law—there were others who wouldn’t see it as taking advantage. They’d even think they were doing Qin Yizhou and his wife a favor by visiting. Sometimes, helping others might blow up in their faces, earning resentment instead of gratitude. Not every act of kindness was welcome.

"Fenglan is really something," Auntie Fatty remarked. "She hasn’t been at the research institute for long, and already she’s got a telephone installed. ‘Comrade Song Fenglan’s residence’—they said her name."

Even though it wasn’t her own home getting the telephone, Auntie Fatty was overjoyed. Song Fenglan had done women proud. People always referred to them as "[X]’s wife," but they had their own names too.

"She is impressive," Gao Xiuxiu admitted. She hadn’t interacted much with Song Fenglan before, mostly just exchanging greetings when they crossed paths.

Gao Xiuxiu had avoided getting involved in the tensions between Shi Guilan and Song Fenglan, not wanting to be seen as picking sides. She still believed Song Fenglan’s background was tainted—who knew what might happen in the future? By staying out of it, she couldn’t be blamed, and she’d avoid trouble.

But now, seeing Song Fenglan’s home getting a telephone, Gao Xiuxiu couldn’t help but feel a twist of envy. Her own household didn’t have one yet. With this development, who would dare look down on Song Fenglan now? She was clearly a force to reckon with.

The telephone bills wouldn’t even be paid by Qin Yizhou and his wife—the research institute would cover them. As for personal calls to family, that was no big deal. The institute wouldn’t forbid it; in fact, the director had even encouraged Song Fenglan to keep in touch with her loved ones.

Song Fenglan was fresh here, after all—a newcomer in a strange land. The director was aware of the difficulties she had faced upon arrival. Without many relatives nearby, she had little support. People could snub her freely.

The director and others couldn’t very well confront Shi Guilan directly—those incidents were in the past. Instead, he told his wife to keep tabs and ensure no one spread rumors about Song Fenglan. She had been through plenty.

It wasn’t just the director—other staff members at the institute also told their families to be mindful. Their relatives might not understand the full story, but they knew Song Fenglan was one of theirs. Naturally, they should stand by her.

Song Fenglan’s beauty wasn’t her fault, and her family’s name had already been cleared. There was no call to hold her past against her anymore.

The workers quickly installed the telephone and told Qin Yizhou and the others they could give it a try.

"Call Auntie Yu, call Auntie Yu!" Qin Zihang was excited.

Qin Zihang didn’t say to call his grandmother because most of the time, it was Auntie Yu who took care of him. Since he hadn’t seen Auntie Yu in a long time, he naturally thought of calling her.

"Alright, let’s call Auntie Yu," Qin Yizhou had no objections.

Auntie Yu didn’t have a telephone at home and had to answer calls at a public phone booth. When she heard someone was calling for her, she hurried out.

Auntie Yu’s in-laws knew the Song family had been rehabilitated, and their attitude toward her improved significantly. They weren’t as dismissive as before or constantly making her do chores. Among her in-laws, Auntie Yu had been treated as the lowest-ranking member, always keeping her head low.

"Auntie Yu!" Qin Zihang heard Auntie Yu’s voice and quickly said, "Auntie Yu, it’s me, Hangbao! We got a telephone at home!"

"You got a telephone? That’s fantastic!" Auntie Yu was happy for Song Fenglan and her son.

"It’s awesome!" Qin Zihang said. "I can hear Auntie Yu’s voice now!"

"Your grandmother is back too. You can call her," Auntie Yu said. It wasn’t as if she’d helped for free—her in-laws had also taken many things from the Song family, so she didn’t feel she owed them anything.

Auntie Yu’s eyes welled up—Zi Hang still remembered her. "You be good now, Hangbao, and listen to your mother," she replied tenderly.

"I do listen to Mom, and Auntie Fatty takes care of me too," Qin Zihang said. "Auntie Fatty’s nice too."

"Good," Auntie Yu replied.

After exchanging a few more words, Qin Zihang and Auntie Yu hung up abruptly. Qin Yizhou had wanted to say something too, but Qin Zihang ended the call so quickly that he didn’t dial again.

Qin Yizhou sent money only to Song Fenglan, not directly to Auntie Yu. But on holidays, if he visited, he would bring gifts for Auntie Yu and others. If he didn’t visit, he would mail things back. Qin Yizhou believed it was better for Song Fenglan to handle the money herself and then give it to Auntie Yu—that way, Song Fenglan could manage better.

After hanging up, Auntie Yu returned home and saw her husband and the others sitting in the living room.

"Mom, please sit down," Sister Jiang cooed, her attitude much kinder toward Auntie Yu.

With the Song family rehabilitated and their property to be returned, Sister Jiang had overheard Auntie Yu’s conversation with Song Fenglan’s mother. She wondered if her own family could benefit—they’d done the Song family a favor, right?

Auntie Yu wasn’t used to her daughter-in-law’s sudden warmth. She knew what they were thinking—they all wanted a cut of the Song family’s wealth. But that depended on whether the Song family was willing. Auntie Yu didn’t believe the Song family owed them anything; they had already taken enough.

Sometimes, Auntie Yu felt her in-laws went too far—they were crude and lowbred. She’d been well-educated in the past, and even though she was born from a concubine, her upbringing hadn’t been poor.

But having married into this family, she had to roll with it.

The technician tested the line, packed up his tools, and before leaving, said, "If there are any issues, you can contact me, and I’ll come back to fix them."

"Alright," Qin Yizhou nodded.

After the installer left, Auntie Fatty and the others were still there, examining the telephone in the living room.

Wow, an actual telephone!

Auntie Fatty gingerly reached for it, but Zhang Xiaohu had already grabbed it directly.

"..." Auntie Fatty was speechless—Zhang Xiaohu was such a bull. "Easy there—don’t wreck it!"

"It's not that easy to break," Qin Yizhou said. "Just touching it won't dial any numbers or incur phone bills."

"Still, we should be careful. This is a telephone," Auntie Plump said.

"It really is a phone, a real phone!" Zhang Xiaohu grabbed the receiver and looked at Qin Zihang. "Zi Hang, your family has a phone now. Your home is so much better off than ours—things you have, we can only dream of."

Zhang Xiaohu was so envious of Qin Zihang. "Your mother is something else. How come you have such an incredible mom? I don’t have one like that."

"..." Auntie Plump knew her youngest son still admired Qin Zihang’s mother. Then again, Song Fenglan truly was remarkable. Hadn’t the telephone installer referred to her as "Comrade Song Fenglan" and "Comrade Song Fenglan’s family"? Just hearing it made Auntie Plump feel pleased.

When a woman stood strong, and others referred to her husband as her family member—it felt really good.

Even though it wasn’t Auntie Plump being addressed that way, she still felt happy. She realized Song Fenglan was on a completely different level, far above them. While they were stuck on the ground, Song Fenglan had already reached the heavens. And someone this extraordinary was actually her neighbor.

"Zi Hang’s mom is truly in a class of her own," Auntie Plump said with a smile. "None of us can match her in looks or talent. Zi Hang here is Comrade Song Fenglan’s son."

"Yes, Comrade Song Fenglan’s son," Qin Zihang nodded proudly. The telephone installer had said the same thing, and it made him happy. "That’s my mom."

Gao Xiuxiu pulled Fang Xudong away—it wouldn’t be right to keep staring at someone else’s phone.

A telephone—an actual telephone.

Gao Xiuxiu was profoundly impressed. Do regular folks even get phones installed? And that "Comrade Song Fenglan," "Comrade Song Fenglan’s family"—didn’t that person know Qin Yizhou was a regiment commander? Yet they only acknowledged Song Fenglan.

"What do you think Song Fenglan did to get a phone installed in their home?" Gao Xiuxiu asked as they walked, poking her husband’s arm.

"She works at a research institute, and her late uncle was a real big shot," Fang Xudong replied.

"Plenty of families have members who sacrificed for the country, yet none of them got a telephone," Gao Xiuxiu mused. "It must be Song Fenglan’s own ability. She graduated high school, worked as a middle school teacher for years—she’s in a class of her own."

She didn’t dare underestimate Song Fenglan. She wasn’t foolish enough to think Song Fenglan relied solely on family connections. Many families had connections, and countless people had sacrificed for the nation, yet none received such treatment.

Song Fenglan was truly remarkable—she made it on her own merits. Gao Xiuxiu knew she could never compare. She worked too, but only in simple jobs, nothing as complex.

"Don’t cross her," Fang Xudong warned.

"What reason would I have?" Gao Xiuxiu retorted. "I’m not trying to ruin anyone’s marriage, and I don’t have a cousin to marry Regiment Commander Qin. Honestly, the way they called her ‘Comrade Song Fenglan’s family’—I bet even without Qin Yizhou, Song Fenglan wouldn’t have done poorly."

In the past, Qin Yizhou had supported her somewhat, but now, Song Fenglan was the one shining.

If things were different now, Song Fenglan might not have married Qin Yizhou at all. He was always training, always at the barracks, with little time for family. Maybe she’d have preferred a man who could stay home and care for his loved ones.

Not that men couldn’t take care of family—they absolutely could.

"Song Fenglan isn’t home yet," Gao Xiuxiu noted. "Probably putting in extra hours. Even before, when she was home, we hardly saw her. Now with extra hours, it’ll be even rarer."

"Didn’t you greet her before?" Fang Xudong asked.

"I did," Gao Xiuxiu said. "When we ran into each other, of course I greeted her. It’s Staff Officer Xu’s wife who made waves, blaming Song Fenglan for our daughter’s misfortune. Why didn’t she blame herself? The nerve of her—Shi Guilan roped us into her nonsense."

She had already disliked Shi Guilan’s behavior, and now it grated on her even worse. Why should Shi Guilan stir up trouble and involve their family? Gao Xiuxiu couldn’t march into Shi Guilan’s home, but she made sure to greet Song Fenglan, letting her know their family didn’t see it that way.

"Be more careful at home," Fang Xudong said. "Don’t get chummy with Staff Officer Xu’s wife."

"After this incident, I wouldn’t dare speak much to her," Gao Xiuxiu replied. "I heard her cousin landed a husband in no time. Lord knows what she's getting. If things go badly, they’ll probably point fingers at Song Fenglan again."

"Very likely," Fang Xudong said. He didn’t know the details, but he understood their family was small potatoes—no need to provoke anyone. If they did, they’d only suffer the consequences.

"Extremely likely," Gao Xiuxiu agreed. "Right now, Staff Officer Xu’s wife is laying off only because his first wife’s mother is visiting. That’s why Shi Guilan has laid low."

By all accounts, Song Fenglan was much stronger than Shi Guilan. Gao Xiuxiu thought she must be extra careful. Now everyone was saying how magnanimous Song Fenglan was—she hadn’t used connections to live in communal housing, nor had she jumped the queue for their positions. The military wives all respected her deeply.

Song Fenglan was a very patient person. Before, she hadn’t confronted Shi Guilan or argued with her much. Others used to say Song Fenglan had questionable class status, that she was afraid of causing trouble, so she had no choice but to endure. But now, the tide had turned. People were saying Song Fenglan was an educated person, that she and Shi Guilan weren’t on the same level, and that Song Fenglan didn’t need to bother with Shi Guilan.

It was because Song Fenglan was kind-hearted. If not for her kindness, how could Shi Guilan have bullied others so much?

In the end, Song Fenglan had entered the research institute, and the Song family had their name cleared. When people learned this news, they realized the Song family was no common family, and they understood Song Fenglan’s capabilities. No one dared to look down on her anymore, and everyone was now praising her to the skies.

The shift in public opinion was so sudden it made Gao Xiuxiu wonder if all of this had been within Song Fenglan’s control.

“Educated people really are different,” Gao Xiuxiu sighed.

She wasn’t the only one who felt this way—many shared the same sentiment.

When Staff Officer Xu returned home, his expression remained cold toward Shi Guilan. He had been called in for another dressing-down, told to rein in his wife and prevent her from constantly badmouthing Song Fenglan. Staff Officer Xu’s face flushed with humiliation. He had thought those matters were behind him, yet he was still being scolded.

The higher-ups were mainly worried that Shi Guilan might do something drastic and urged Staff Officer Xu to pay more attention to his family affairs, lest negligence lead to serious consequences.

“Bubble your feet,” Shi Guilan brought him a basin of water.

Staff Officer Xu dipped one foot in and frowned.

“Too hot?” Shi Guilan asked.

“No,” Staff Officer Xu said. “Did you go out today?”

“I went for a short walk,” Shi Guilan replied. “Staying cooped up at home all day is suffocating.”

“You can go out, but stop gossiping in the future,” Staff Officer Xu said. “Gossiping does none of us any good.”

“I… didn’t say anything,” Shi Guilan muttered. “Auntie came over, so… I spent most of the day at home.”

Shi Guilan was too busy outmaneuvering Granny Cao to spare time badmouthing others. She also knew it wasn’t wise to provoke Song Fenglan now—if Song Fenglan were to retaliate, her own situation would only worsen.

“The Song family has had their name cleared,” Staff Officer Xu said. “Comrade Song Fenglan’s class status is no longer held against her.”

“Mmn,” Shi Guilan responded dully.

“Qin Yizhou is lucky,” Staff Officer Xu remarked. “Before, everyone thought his wife was a burden to him. But now? Far from being a burden, she’s become a credit to him.”

The more Staff Officer Xu thought about it, the more he envied Qin Yizhou’s luck—his own, in comparison, was terrible.

“Your cousin is no match for Song Fenglan,” Staff Officer Xu said. “And you all should stop throwing around your ‘good class status.’ Yours may be clean, but that doesn’t mean you can suppress others.”

“I haven’t said anything,” Shi Guilan lowered her head as she washed his feet. “My cousin is getting married. I’ll go to the market tomorrow to buy some fabric. Since her family isn’t here, I, as her relative, should stand by her.”

“Go ahead,” Staff Officer Xu said. “But your cousin is too high and mighty. Don’t get too close to her, and don’t tell her everything. She has her own family, and you have yours. Spilling everything will come back to bite you.”

“Mmn,” Shi Guilan hummed in response, though she still intended to confide in her cousin. After all, she was family, not an outsider.

It was past nine in the evening when Song Fenglan finally left the research institute, given an official escort home. That night, she had held a meeting with her colleagues. She knew their knowledge was rather behind the times, but that didn’t matter—she could bring them up to speed, step by step.

The knowledge Song Fenglan had acquired in her past life had been hard-won by predecessors. Now, it was her turn to pass on that knowledge, moving everyone forward together.

Qin Zihang hadn't gone to bed yet; he had been staring at the phone for a while. Besides calling his aunt, he also called his grandmother, cheerfully.

"You're still up?" Song Fenglan switched shoes.

"Mom." Qin Zihang rubbed his eyes. "Mom, you're back."

"I'm back, I'm back." Song Fenglan chuckled softly. "Was our little one well-behaved?"

"I was good," Qin Zihang said. "No one bullied me today."

"A little mischief is fine," Song Fenglan replied. She worried her son might suppress himself too much, always trying to be obedient—that wouldn’t hold him back.

"If someone bullies me, I’ll fight back," Qin Zihang clenched his little fists. "Mom, I understand."

"You can go bathe now," Qin Yizhou had already heated the water and put away Song Fenglan’s clothes. "Such a hot day—must feel gross all sticky."

"It's not too bad," Song Fenglan said. "The office has a fan, so it’s a bit better. The evening breeze helps."

"This heat wave's still going," Qin Yizhou said.

"Hmm," Song Fenglan glanced at Qin Zihang.

"From now on, I'll keep regular hours," Qin Yizhou said. "If I’m not assigned any missions, I’ll pick up Zihang after school."

"Good," Song Fenglan nodded. "My workload's about to get heavy."

She wished she had more time to spend with her child, but the institute work swallowed her time.

Before, some had still been sizing Song Fenglan up, and higher-ups hadn’t fully trusted her. But now, things were different—they all felt they’d missed too much and were eager for her to shoulder the big projects.

Foreign aircraft frequently trespassed into their airspace, while most of the domestic fighter jets were hand-me-downs from other countries. These were essentially obsolete versions, not the latest technology. Domestic scientists could only modify and imitate these older models—developing cutting-edge designs was far too difficult.

Can't sprint before you can crawl.

Song Fenglan was willing to do more, even if it meant less time with her child in the short term.

"Don’t worry. Before, it was you balancing work and Zihang. Now, it’s my turn," Qin Yizhou said. "You’ve worked hard."

"It's fine," Song Fenglan replied. "It’s good for you to bond with your son—he's your flesh and blood. You should build that father-son bond. Before, Zihang used to ask me where his dad was. I said you were away being heroic."

She'd never hold that against Qin Yizhou—doing so would imply something negative about Qin Zihang and might give the boy the wrong idea. She always chose her words carefully to keep him happy.

"I've fallen short," Qin Yizhou admitted.

"You’re a soldier," Song Fenglan said. She knew his duty came first.

Soldiers protect the nation—their service demands sacrifices.

Song Fenglan wasn’t unreasonable; she wouldn’t criticize Qin Yizhou for that.

"I—"

"I’ll go take a bath first," Song Fenglan said.

"Your bath things are laid out," Qin Yizhou said. "Unless you’d rather wear something else."

"This outfit is fine," Song Fenglan glanced at the clothes in the bathroom. "At work, I have a uniform—no point dressing fancy. But when going out, I’d dress up a bit more."

Song Fenglan closed the bathroom door, and Qin Yizhou stood outside.

"Dad, do you want to see Mom showering?" Qin Zihang quietly walked up behind Qin Yizhou.

Zihang wasn’t exactly whispering, and before the sound of running water could even be heard from the bathroom, he had already spoken up.

"..." Qin Yizhou was conflicted—he hadn’t even tried to go in, so what was his son talking about?

"Dad, do you—"

Thinking his father hadn’t heard, Zihang was about to repeat himself.

Qin Yizhou quickly covered his son’s mouth. What was the kid saying? He absolutely hadn’t been thinking about going in to watch his wife shower—and even if he had, so what? She *was* his wife.

"Mom came back so late, she might be hungry. Let’s cook her some noodles, okay?" Qin Yizhou suggested.

"Throw in a fried egg—no, make it two!" Zihang gestured.

"Alright, two for her, and one for you too," Qin Yizhou said.

"It’s too hot, we should let it cool a bit," Zihang said. "Use the fan to blow on it."

Qin Yizhou had brought the fan home a few days ago. The weather was sweltering, and he was worried his family might get heatstroke. He could endure the heat himself—he’d trained in blazing heat plenty of times and endured worse conditions.

"Then let’s blow on it," Qin Yizhou agreed. "Just don’t point it at your head, or you’ll get a headache."

"Mm-hmm." Zihang nodded. "Dad, do you—"

"Let’s go get the noodles," Qin Yizhou cut in, not wanting his son to bring up the shower-watching question again.

Kids had no filter, and Qin Yizhou was worried his wife might turn red—or worse, banish him to another room.

By the time Song Fenglan finished showering and washing her clothes, she saw the noodles Yizhou made. It had some greens and fried eggs in it.

It was late, and there was no meat at home. Qin Yizhou thought about getting a fridge—with one, food would keep longer.

"It’s not too hot," Qin Yizhou told Song Fenglan. "You eat, and I’ll help Zihang eat."

"I can eat by myself," Zihang declared. He didn’t need anyone to feed him—he was a big kid who could feed himself.

Zihang sucked up one noodle after another. "Dad, didn’t you say *just* three noodles? Why are there so many?"

"You snapped them," Qin Yizhou said. "One long strand snaps into two, then three..."

"Dad, you doubting my math?" Zihang challenged.

"Did you bite them or not?" Qin Yizhou countered.

"..." Zihang looked down. He had, in fact, bitten them.

"Just eat," Song Fenglan said, glancing at her son before turning to Qin Yizhou. "You have some too."

Military training—he needed the calories. Song Fenglan slid one of her fried eggs into his bowl. One was enough for her.

"I can’t finish this much," she said.

"You start. If you can’t finish, I’ll..."

"Eat up!" Song Fenglan urged Qin Yizhou. "The food at my institute isn’t bad."

The researchers’ meals were decent—they burned through mental energy and needed proper nourishment. At the canteen, Song Fenglan could eat meat and eggs.

"The meals in the army aren’t bad either," Qin Yizhou said.

"I eat with Auntie—meat, eggs, and lots more," Qin Zihang chimed in, pinching his chubby cheeks. "I’ve gotten fat."

"A little chubby," Song Fenglan admitted. "Kids can be a bit plump. Once they grow taller, they’ll slim down."

"I’m chubby-chubby!" Qin Zihang giggled. "Brother Xiao Hu is even chubbier than me. His mom says he’ll eat anything."

Zhang Xiaohu often complained about food being unappetizing, but when it was placed in front of him and there was nothing else, he still ate it. These days, lots of families are like that—just being able to fill their stomachs is a blessing. What’s scary is not having enough to eat. Families with boys had it harder—boys ate more than girls, and if there were several sons, food became even scarcer.

"If it’s yucky, I won’t eat it," Qin Zihang insisted. "It’s too awful."

"Then don’t eat it," Song Fenglan said. "If you’re full, you don’t have to. If not, just eat a little."

"Auntie’s food is the best!" Qin Zihang said. "And her egg custard is so smooth and tender."

"Your auntie really looks after you," Song Fenglan said warmly.

"Auntie makes more food than Auntie Yu," Qin Zihang patted his round belly lightly. "I eat till I’m round as a ball!"

Auntie Yu’s meals might look like a lot, but with so many mouths to feed in her household, each person got less. Mrs. Su’s portions appeared smaller, but since it was just her and Qin Zihang eating, he ended up with more—and better—food. That’s why Qin Zihang said Mrs. Su made more.

"I can’t eat any more," Qin Zihang groaned. "Auntie even gave me cookies."

He liked his auntie way more than Auntie Yu. At Auntie Yu’s place, there were other kids—he wasn’t the only one. But Mrs. Su doted on him alone, making him feel like the most cherished.

Kids love in the purest, simplest way.

"Next time, we’ll buy some too and keep them at home. You can share them with Auntie," Song Fenglan suggested.

"I tried to give some to Auntie, but she told me to eat more," Qin Zihang said. "She says it makes her happy when I eat well."

"Since Auntie is so good to you, you must treat her well in the future," Song Fenglan reminded him.

"Mm, of course!" Qin Zihang nodded. "Mom, eat yours before it gets cold."

The three of them happily slurped their noodles together, sharing a happy meal.

The next day, Dr. Lin stopped by the Qins’ place—he had been at the Songs’ residence the day before. He’d come to talk to Qin’s mother, as they were blood relatives after all.

During dinner the previous night, Sister-in-law Qin had pointedly asked if Qin’s father had helped the Songs. Qin’s father flat-out denied it—if he hadn’t done something, he wouldn’t claim otherwise. Yet Sister-in-law Qin remained skeptical, convinced it was his doing.

Now, Dr. Lin settled into the living room, sipping tea before praising Song Fenglan.

"Yizhou landed a good one," Dr. Lin said. "Do you know whose niece Song Fenglan is?"

"Whose?" Qin’s mother was puzzled.

"Song Xingyun—the genius physicist," Dr. Lin said. "The one who tried to come back to serve China but was assassinated abroad. Song Fenglan is impressive too—she’s now at the research institute, working to fulfill her uncle’s unfinished dreams. The reason the Songs were rehabilitated now is because of Song Xingyun… and Song Fenglan. She’s exceptional."

Everyone knew how quickly people forget you after you’re gone. In these turbulent times, past connections meant little—staying afloat was hard enough—who could help others?

It was Song Fenglan’s own smarts, combined with Song Xingyun’s legacy, that allowed the Songs to be vindicated at this moment.

"Is it because of them?" Sister-in-law Qin came over with a fruit platter.

"Right," said Doctor Lin. "It definitely wasn’t because of your family. If it were because of your family, why would they have stayed on the farm all this time? If it were up to your family, they’d still be waiting."

Doctor Lin glanced at Sister-in-law Qin, knowing full well how much she liked to scheme. Before now, she’d often complained that Eldest Brother Qin hadn’t gotten promoted because Qin Yizhou had married Song Fenglan.

Sister-in-law Qin always made it seem like she and her husband had suffered terribly, claiming that Qin Yizhou never considered the family’s interests—only his own. He’d stubbornly married Song Fenglan against the family’s wishes—in her eyes, he’d gone too far.

Doctor Lin’s wife had heard Sister-in-law Qin’s complaints and had even mentioned them to him. But Doctor Lin had told his wife not to repeat such talk. He didn’t blame the Song family—they’d worked hard for everything they had. It was just the political turmoil that had ruined them.

Hearing Doctor Lin’s words, Sister-in-law Qin flushed at Doctor Lin’s words. "Wasn’t it because of Dad?"

"No," Doctor Lin said. "You think your father-in-law can just do whatever he pleases?"

Doctor Lin wasn’t blaming Eldest Brother Qin; he just found Sister-in-law Qin’s words distasteful. Compared to her, he much preferred Song Fenglan. Even if the Song family needed more help, he still thought highly of them—they were merely going through a temporary hardship.

In times of adversity, people often kick others when they’re down. But Doctor Lin could still tell who was good and who wasn’t.

"This…" Sister-in-law Qin looked at Mother Qin.

"Go check on the kitchen," Mother Qin said. "There’s still soup simmering."

"Alright…" Sister-in-law Qin gave a resigned sigh. She had hoped her mother-in-law would speak up for her, but instead, she was sent to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Sister-in-law Qin seethed. Now that the Song family’s name had been cleared, would her in-laws favor Song Fenglan even more? With her family’s status restored, Song Fenglan’s background was now impeccable, and she had even joined the research institute. Everyone would surely prefer her now.

Sister-in-law Qin’s face twisted in rage before she smoothed it over. She worried her past misdeeds might be exposed. Song Fenglan hadn’t returned yet, so she probably wouldn’t say anything—but who knew about the future? Sister-in-law Qin blamed Song Fenglan—no, the whole Song family—for taking so long to clear their name.

No, no—her in-laws couldn’t possibly know about those things now unless Song Fenglan told them. But Song Fenglan didn’t even know about the items her in-laws had sent—those had passed through Sister-in-law Qin’s hands, not hers. Sometimes, to avoid suspicion, she had even gone near Auntie Yu’s house.

Some of those things had been sent to her own family, while others had been sold for money. Sister-in-law Qin had thought she’d covered her tracks perfectly—no one knew, not even her husband. There was no way anyone could find out.

No need to fear! Absolutely no need!

She patted her chest, calming herself down. There was nothing to be afraid of—she was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Qin family!

In the living room, Doctor Lin looked at Mother Qin. "It wasn’t because of your husband—it was the Song family’s own merit. Don’t go claiming credit where it isn’t due; it’ll only cause misunderstandings. I heard a national leader wrote four words in praise of them: 'Pillars of the Nation.' That was for the Song family, not the Qin family. The Qin family isn’t in that league."

"Pillars of the Nation?" Mother Qin was astonished. "We had no idea."

"The Song family’s modest—they never bragged about it," Doctor Lin said. "First, they had Song Xingyun, and now there’s Song Fenglan. The entire Song family has been loyal to the country. You ought to watch how you treat them—no more snubbing or looking down on them."

"We haven’t," Mother Qin insisted. "When Feng Lan was recovering after childbirth, I even had the eldest daughter-in-law deliver six chickens to her."

"Wasn’t it just one?" Doctor Lin frowned.

"One?" Mother Qin was shocked. "No, it was six. There were supposed to be eight, but I held back two so the eldest daughter-in-law wouldn’t fuss. The other six went over a few days."