Chapter 51: Ignorance Doesn’t Mean Lack of Ideological Awareness, Does It?

Chapter 51: Defying the Natural Order—No Education, No Principles?

"They've been together for days, and people spotted them," Mrs. Yang confronted Mrs. Tian directly.

Mrs. Yang’s son, Yang Yaohui, was a deadbeat who idled around all day, working odd jobs and often slacking off. Seeing her son getting close to Tian Kexian, Mrs. Yang kept an eye on them for days and even pushed her son to take advantage of Tian Kexian.

Once Tian Kexian’s purity was lost, wouldn’t she have no choice but to marry Yang Yaohui?

Mrs. Yang even wanted the Tian family to provide a larger dowry. "With your family’s *history*… Your family has produced a traitor. My son marrying her is a loss for us. You’d better prepare more dowry. If you don’t, our family—"

"More dowry?" Mrs. Tian hadn’t even agreed to the marriage, yet Mrs. Yang was already demanding a larger dowry.

"Yes, the two young people are already together," Mrs. Yang said. "With your family’s circumstances, how could you not give more dowry? My son marrying your daughter is a loss for him, a loss for our whole family. People will gossip behind our backs, saying my son married a girl from a traitor’s family."

Mrs. Yang was a widow who ran her household like a tyrant—meaning her children had to obey her. Whether they did well in their jobs was secondary. She was used to keeping her children tightly under control, and her future daughter-in-law would have to obey her too.

By coming to strong-arm the Tians into submission, Mrs. Yang made it clear she wasn’t there to negotiate.

Mrs. Tian was naturally furious, her face darkening. "Then don’t marry her."

"My son can choose not to marry your daughter, but who else would take your daughter now?" Mrs. Yang retorted.

"That’s your son being a predator!" Mrs. Tian snapped.

"A *respectable* family like yours? Would my son even need to act like a pervert?" Mrs. Yang sneered. "If you spread this, who would believe you? I could just as easily say your daughter seduced my son!"

Mrs. Yang wasn’t afraid of Mrs. Tian making a scene. While being a predator was a serious crime, they were dealing with the Tian family—a family that had produced a traitor. There was nothing to fear.

"Go ahead and shout it out. Let everyone know. Let’s see who’d dare marry her then!" Mrs. Yang taunted deliberately.

"You—you—" Mrs. Tian was seeing red.

"Think carefully," Mrs. Yang said, standing up and straightening her clothes with a light pat. "If your family isn’t willing, then this marriage is off. No skin off my back."

With that, Mrs. Yang left directly.

Mrs. Tian collapsed into her chair, shaking with rage. What a disaster—what an absolute disaster.

Back with the young couple, Tian Kexian was still with Yang Yaohui, who took her to see a movie and even bought her an ice pop.

In Nan City, the fighter jet returned safely to the base.

Song Fenglan let out a sigh of relief—it was a success. This test flight wasn’t just for one fighter jet but two of the same model. Fortunately, both came through without a hitch. Before the pilots took off, they’d run drills, but drills and real-world practice were vastly different. Especially with new jets compared to old ones—the differences in design were significant.

The pilots successfully brought the jets back, and everyone was over the moon.

They’d done it!

No issues—what a relief.

The first test flight was a success, but more trials would follow. Only after multiple tests could they greenlight full production.

Song Fenglan and Professor Su held another meeting with the team. They were in for a long night.

This success eased some of the tension in everyone’s hearts. They all understood the significance of this model. If their country could deploy such jets, they wouldn’t lag behind other nations—they might even pull ahead.

Qin Yizhou took Qin Zihang out to buy groceries and some fruit. He kept his son on a short leash, not letting him run around freely. The boy was growing up and getting faster.

"Dad, are we buying Chinese strawberries?" Qin Zihang looked up at his father.

"Will you eat it?" Qin Yizhou asked, knowing Song Fenglan didn't like bayberries—partly because they were sour, and partly because they often had tiny white worms inside. Song Fenglan was afraid of the small insects in bayberries and rarely ate them.

"I won’t, Dad. You eat it," Qin Zihang said.

"..." Qin Yizhou looked down at his son. "There are little worms inside."

"They’re just extra meat, Dad. More protein for you," Qin Zihang said, eyeing the bayberries. "A couple of days ago, Xiao Hu’s mom gave us some. They didn’t taste good."

"If they’re no good, don’t bother with them," Qin Yizhou said, not planning to buy any. No one else in the family liked bayberries, and while he would eat them, he didn’t particularly enjoy them either.

Bayberries were still in season, a summer fruit that had been in stores for a while. Qin Yizhou rarely bought them because Song Fenglan didn’t like them, and neither did Qin Zihang.

Once, Qin Zihang saw the tiny white worms and asked if they could feed them to the chickens, which had grown much bigger. Sometimes, he even dug up earthworms, saying he wanted to collect more.

This summer had been rainy, and after showers, earthworms would crawl out of the soil in the yard for air. Qin Zihang would then let the chickens out into the yard to peck at them. When his dad asked why he didn’t catch them himself, he replied, "I’m not dumb—the chickens can get ’em themselves."

"Let’s buy something else," Qin Yizhou said. "We’ll cook more tonight."

"Dad’s cooking," Qin Zihang said. "Mom will come home to eat."

"Yeah, Mom will come home to eat," Qin Yizhou agreed. He never made Song Fenglan cook—when she was home and he wasn’t, she would just pick up food from the canteen.

After buying groceries, Qin Yizhou took his son home and cooked, but Song Fenglan still hadn’t returned by evening. The two of them ate without her.

"Hey, Zihang," Zhang Xiaohu called out after finishing his own meal and coming over.

Zhang Xiaohu liked playing with Qin Zihang because he had more toys and even a TV.

"Let’s watch TV," Zihang said, looking toward the door—still no sign of Mom. He wanted to tell her he’d seen planes again today.

Song Fenglan wouldn’t be back so soon; she still had things to take care of.

At the Tian household, Tian Kexian returned home only to be scolded harshly by her mother.

"What were you thinking? How’d you land a guy like Yang Yaohui? Do you know his mother came here telling us to give you a bigger dowry?" Tian’s mother fumed. "Are we marrying off a daughter or taking in a daughter-in-law? She actually asked for a TV! A TV!"

Tian’s mother gritted her teeth. It’s the groom’s side that’s supposed to give those things, not ours!

"Listen, we have no money or ration coupons. There’s no way we’re getting a TV," Tian’s mother said. "Dump Yang Yaohui."

"You think I want to be with him? Other guys won’t touch me with a ten-foot pole—what else can I do? Mom, I’m marrying Yang Yaohui."

"Go ahead and marry him, but that TV isn’t happening," her mother snapped.

"Mom, I—"

"When your sister-in-law married into this family, she didn’t demand half as much, and we didn’t ask her family for a big dowry either," Tian’s mother said. "Take two quilts or nothing—your choice."

Did Tian Kexian not know their family’s situation?

Tian’s mother was so angry her chest ached. Their family had so little—how dare Yang’s mother demand so much?

"Does Yang Yaohui even know his mother said all this? They’ve got nothing either," Tian’s mother said. "They can’t even give a proper bride price, yet they have the nerve to demand things from us."

"Then don’t give them a thing," Tian Kexian said, shocked Yang’s mom had the gall to ask for all that. She wanted those things, but her family couldn’t provide them.

Tian Kexian knew their circumstances—her parents were out of work, and while her second brother worked, he wasn’t making as much as before. The Tian family had many siblings: her second brother was home, but the third and fourth had left—some shipped off to the countryside, others gone who-knows-where.

Under such circumstances, if Tian Kexian dared to ask for anything, her parents would surely throw her out on the spot. When her older sister remarried, the family gave her a new quilt and nothing else.

Tian Kexian thought it was perfectly normal for the family not to give Tian Keshu anything extra. After all, Tian Keshu was remarrying. She brought that dowry back when she divorced Eldest Brother Qin, but the items were old and couldn’t all be taken to her new husband’s home, in case it rubbed him the wrong way.

"Not giving? We don’t plan to," Tian’s mother said. "If you really end up with Yang Yaohui, just wait—his mother will make things hard for you. She won’t treat you kindly."

"Then I just won’t live with her. Wouldn’t that solve it?" Tian Kexian said, thinking marriage was a simple matter and not considering any potential complications.

"Do you really think that’s enough?" Tian’s mother scoffed. "You’ll suffer for it later."

Tian’s mother would have preferred Tian Kexian to marry into a better family, where they could demand more betrothal gifts to help support their own household. But given the current situation, no decently well-off family would take Tian Kexian. If they had, she wouldn’t have remained unmarried for so long.

Around ten in the evening, Song Fenglan finally returned from the research institute. There had been too much to wrap up, and before she knew it, it was already late.

Song Fenglan walked back with Cao Fang. The distance was short, so there was no need to take a vehicle—riding wouldn't be any easier. Only after Song Fenglan arrived home did Cao Fang leave.

Qin Yizhou was sitting in the living room, still awake, though Qin Zihang had already gone to bed. Qin Zihang had initially wanted to wait for Song Fenglan, but after playing all day and then with Zhang Xiaohu in the evening, he quickly grew drowsy.

"You’re back," Qin Yizhou said. "I’ll cook some rice noodles."

"I am a bit hungry," Song Fenglan said, taking two boiled eggs from her pocket. Cao Fang had snagged them from the canteen on the way back.

Cao Fang would grab food for Song Fenglan beforehand—sometimes boiled eggs, sometimes steamed buns. Compared to boiled eggs, Song Fenglan was really craving rice noodles.

She didn’t shower immediately, knowing she’d get hot again after eating. Better to wait. She’d barely sat down when Qin Yizhou brought out the cooked rice noodles, topped with greens, a fried egg, and a little meat.

"Dig in," Qin Yizhou said.

Song Fenglan picked up her chopsticks, but the noodles were too hot. Qin Yizhou grabbed another bowl, taking some noodles out to cool while she ate the rest.

"Want some?" Song Fenglan asked.

"No, I’m full," Qin Yizhou replied, sitting beside her. "Take your time. There’s more if you need it."

He didn’t ask about her work—it was confidential, and he understood. He had his hunches but kept them to himself. Watching his wife, he assumed the mission had been successful. No news of a crash was the best news; everything else was small potatoes.

"Zi Hang saw a fighter jet in the sky today and played with the model plane his Second Brother Song gave him," Qin Yizhou said.

"I once promised to make him a plane, but it was just a quick knock-off," Song Fenglan said. "Nothing fancy."

She couldn’t give Qin Zihang a model of the new fighter jet—not even the exterior. The rough one she’d made couldn’t compare to Second Brother Song’s gift. Qin Zihang had stored her model in his treasure chest, where he kept old toys.

Just thinking about her boy made Song Fenglan's heart warm.

"Second Brother’s gift is better," she said.

"Don’t knock yourself out over it," Qin Yizhou said, transferring more noodles to cool in extra bowls. "Eat slowly."

"Here, two boiled eggs for you," Song Fenglan said, remembering the eggs. In this heat, they wouldn’t keep long.

Qin Yizhou gave the egg a crack on the table and peeled it carefully.

"Not bad," he said.

"I get fed plenty at work," Song Fenglan mused, thinking she ate better than her own kid. The research institute’s canteen had plenty of good food, and colleagues were always looking out for her.

No one complained about her perks. Between her skills and her late uncle’s legacy, who’d make a fuss over her eating well?

"The noodles you made are good," Song Fenglan said.

"Glad you think so," Qin Yizhou replied. "Want some vinegar?"

"No," Song Fenglan said. "I'll have it plain—no chili, no vinegar."

These days, Song Fenglan rarely added such condiments and preferred to eat things plain. She tried to avoid any potential health issues since she still had so much work to do. When she first came to the army base, she hadn’t expected to be this busy.

"Look after Zihang more these days," Song Fenglan said, taking a bite of noodles followed by some greens.

"Don't talk like that. He’s my son," Qin Yizhou said, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Song Fenglan’s forehead. "Don’t worry."

When Song Fenglan finished the noodles and took a bath, it was nearly midnight. She left her laundry for Qin Yizhou. She was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.

Qin Yizhou didn’t say anything about her leaving her laundry. He went to wash them and hung them under the eaves before quietly returning to the room to sleep.

The next morning, Qin Yizhou woke up, and so did Song Fenglan. It was barely six, not even seven yet. Song Fenglan changed clothes and was out the door again.

By the time Qin Zihang woke up, Song Fenglan was already at the research institute and not at home.

"Where’s Mom?" Qin Zihang asked as he sat at the dining table, wondering if she was still asleep.

"Mom’s busy," Qin Yizhou said. "She went to work. She'll be back to see you when she’s done."

"Mom’s so busy," Qin Zihang said with a pout. "Dad, did you make Mom unhappy?"

"Huh?" Qin Yizhou was taken aback—how had this turned into him making his wife unhappy?

"Mom’s unhappy. She doesn’t want to see you, so she’s hiding," Qin Zihang said. "I’m being dragged down by you, Dad."

"No," Qin Yizhou said, exasperated. Where did you get that idea? "Mom has work to do. She’ll be busy for a few days. When she’s not busy anymore—"

"You’re lying. Mom's been busy forever," Qin Zihang said, counting on his fingers. It's been forever—he couldn’t even keep track.

"Has it been that long?" Qin Yizhou asked.

"It has," Qin Zihang insisted. "I haven’t eaten with Mom in forever."

Qin Zihang missed his mom so much—he wanted to eat with her, to have her play with him.

"Mom’s working so our Hangbao can live under safer skies," Qin Yizhou said. "As soon as she has time, she’ll spend it with our Hangbao."

"Before, Mom used to spend time with me all the time," Qin Zihang sniffled. He really missed his mom. Even though they lived together, he hardly saw her anymore, and she always looked so tired. He couldn't even talk to her much. "Dad, are we poor now?"

"No, we have plenty for food," Qin Yizhou said.

"If we have enough money, why does Mom still have to work?" Qin Zihang asked. "Can't you protect me, Dad? Does Mom have to earn money to raise Hangbao? Mom needs Dad’s protection too."

Qin Zihang wanted his mom to come home early so he could play with her.

"Well…" Qin Yizhou could hear the grievance in his child’s voice. He ruffled Qin Zihang’s hair. "Because some jobs just need to be done. If it’s not your mom doing them, then it’ll be another child’s mom."

"Then let another child’s mom do it," Qin Zihang said.

"..." Qin Yizhou didn't know how to respond. Well, Qin Zihang was still young. Children didn’t yet understand concepts of right and wrong or national duty—it was up to adults to teach them. "Other children’s moms have other things to do."

"Xiao Hu’s brother’s mom stays at home," Qin Zihang said. "Xiao Hu gets to see his mom every day."

"Every mom is different," Qin Yizhou said. "Doesn't Xiao Hu wish he had a mom like yours? Lots of kids wish they were you."

"But... I don't want them to envy me anymore," Qin Zihang said. He truly didn’t want others to envy him. "I miss Mommy."

"Mommy knows Hangbao misses her. She’s working hard to wrap things up soon so she can come back to be with you," Qin Yizhou said. "Eat up and grow big and strong so Mommy will be happy with you."

"Okay," Qin Zihang nodded, picking up his spoon to eat.

Qin Yizhou served him more food. "When Auntie comes to take care of you, don’t say you miss Mommy. Our Hangbao needs to be brave. Mommy will be back soon."

"Mm," Qin Zihang replied.

"Our Hangbao is amazing. Someday, you’ll go places—even to the stars," Qin Yizhou said. "This little hiccup—"

"Mommy’s stuff is never small," Qin Zihang interrupted. In his heart, his mother’s affairs could never be trivial.

In the capital, Tian Keshu returned to her parents’ home. Upon learning about her sister’s situation, she was at a loss for words.

"No way!" Tian Keshu snapped. "The nerve of them! A television? Like she’s desperate and has to pay her way into marriage? If they’re unwilling, we’re even less willing!"

Clenching her teeth, she glared at her sister. "And you—no backbone at all! How could you end up with such a loser?"

"Did I have options? It’s not like anyone else wanted me," Tian Kexian retorted. She believed Yang Yaohui was decent—he spent money on her, took her out to eat, and bought her things. To her, that counted as being treated well, unlike other men who looked down on her.

"Couldn’t you hold out a bit longer?" Tian Keshu pressed.

"Hold out? Till I’m labeled a spinster?" Tian Kexian shot back.

"Fine, if she’s set on it, let her," their mother interjected. Given the current circumstances, no one knew when things would improve. But the dowry issue wouldn’t be dictated by the Yang family.

Tian Keshu wasn’t faring much better herself. She wanted another child, but at her age, it might not be possible. Her husband already had two sons and wasn’t keen on more. If she couldn’t conceive, she considered adopting a girl. But without a job and relying on her husband’s income—barely enough for his two sons—he’d never agree to raise a child unrelated by blood.

"This is all your fault," Tian Kexian muttered. "If you hadn’t screwed things up and were still with the Qins, our situation would be much better."

The Qin family had no major issues, and their in-laws, the Songs, were highly regarded. People would’ve treated Tian Keshu and the Tians with more respect.

"I—" Tian Keshu wished she could’ve stayed with the Qins, but it was impossible. "Why dredge that up? That ship has sailed. Focus on your own problems. There’s no rush with Yang Yaohui. You can wait a while longer."

"Till I’m showing?" Tian Kexian scoffed.

"You—have you no shame?" Tian Keshu snapped.

"I’m forced into this!" Tian Kexian retorted.

"If you’re pregnant, don’t expect any dowry from the family," Tian Keshu warned. "If the Yangs refuse, get an abortion. If they’ll hold it over us, we’ll do the same."

Two days later, Song Fenglan finally got a proper break. She didn’t need flattery—just to unwind.

This time, instead of making pastries, she enjoyed the grass jelly prepared by Auntie Fatty, who had even drizzled real honey—the good stuff—over it. The jelly had been soaked, drained, and sweetened with sugar and honey water.

"Delicious?" Auntie Fatty smiled, having cut a large portion and placed it in the center of the table.

Song Fenglan’s family of three sat together, digging in while enjoying the breeze.

Auntie Fatty’s grass jelly was firmer, suitable for cooking as a dish—stir-fried with spices, chili, and ginger. She also shared some with neighbors and saved extra pieces in Song Fenglan’s fridge for the next day.

They ate some now and saved the rest for tomorrow.

Auntie Fatty was quite skilled at making grass jelly, and she did it very well.

"Just one bunch of herbs can make several bowls," Auntie Fatty said. "Even after sharing, there’s a lot left."

"Delicious," Qin Zihang said happily today, with his mother by his side and grass jelly to enjoy.

"I added honey," Auntie Fatty said with a smile. "Kids your age can handle honey."

For children under three, Auntie Fatty wouldn’t add honey, afraid it could upset their stomachs.

"Go ahead and eat," Song Fenglan said to Qin Zihang. After barely seeing him for days, she now had a three-day break to properly accompany her son and rest.

Song Fenglan had no plans to go shopping in the city—just resting at home, maybe buying some snacks nearby. Work had been too demanding, and even when stopping, her body still felt exhausted.

In the afternoon, Song Fenglan slept for a long time while Qin Yizhou took care of their child. Neither father nor son disturbed her. Qin Yizhou was also on leave these days—supposedly for rest, but really, his superiors wanted him to ensure Song Fenglan’s safety. Of course, he didn’t mind.

The two families shared grass jelly together, and Song Fenglan asked Qin Yizhou to bring out the watermelon from home to slice.

"Such a big watermelon?" Auntie Fatty exclaimed. "Grass jelly is enough for now. Save the watermelon for later."

"Let’s cut it so everyone can try some," Song Fenglan said.

"Cut the watermelon, cut the watermelon!" Qin Zihang stood up to watch his father.

"I’ll get the knife," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"This kid," Auntie Fatty couldn’t help shaking her head. Zhang Xiaohu was always like this—so familiar with Qin Zihang’s family that he didn’t even think to refuse and immediately offered to fetch the knife.

"Time for watermelon!" Zhang Xiaohu cheered.

Zhang Xiaohu’s older brother stayed quiet, feeling like a freeloader.

"Let me do the cutting," Zhang Chenghai said. "First, let’s wash the watermelon."

Zhang Chenghai couldn’t just sit there—of course, he had to get up and slice the watermelon.

Next door, Granny Fang heard the talk about cutting watermelon at Zhang Chenghai’s house and felt annoyed. Zhang Chenghai and Qin Yizhou’s families often gathered together, always sharing food, while other neighbors didn’t have as much.

Granny Fang didn’t consider that the two families’ children played together often and shared food, making their dynamic different from others. Auntie Fatty had given Gao Xiuxiu some grass jelly but didn’t include honey, specifically reminding her that Gao Xiuxiu’s eldest daughter was still too young and shouldn’t eat it, as honey wasn’t safe for such small children.

But Granny Fang didn’t care about that. She figured any food was fine for kids.

She had no watermelon at home, but there was some honey.

Granny Fang made some honey water and still gave some to her eldest granddaughter.

Two hours later, the girl was in severe stomach pain. Granny Fang insisted massaging her belly would help, but Fang Xudong insisted on taking her to the hospital. When the doctor asked what the child had eaten, Granny Fang hesitated and avoided giving a full answer. The doctor pressed, "Did she have honey?"

"Just a little honey water, not much," Granny Fang said. "I just saw the neighbors eating watermelon and wanted my granddaughter to have something sweet too."

Granny Fang didn’t treat her eldest granddaughter well—most of the honey water went into her own stomach, with only a little given to the child. She had no idea honey wasn’t safe for such a young child, who wasn’t even two years old yet.

"It’s the honey," the doctor said bluntly.

"How’s honey the problem?" Granny Fang frowned, refusing to believe it. "Honey is such a good thing, she—"

"Little kids have sensitive stomachs," the doctor said. "Luckily, you brought her in quickly. Any later, and it could’ve been worse. No more honey water for now. Wait until she’s older."

"Such a finicky little girl," Granny Fang grumbled.

"It's not just girls, boys are the same," the doctor said. "Toddlers shouldn't have honey. Honey is nutritious, but it's unsafe for young children."

The doctor briefed Fang Xudong without looking at Granny Fang. He figured it was pointless arguing with someone as stubborn as her—she would only blame others rather than admit her own fault.

Fang Xudong didn’t let Granny Fang stay to care for the child. Instead, he took over at the hospital and told her to go home and rest.

When Granny Fang returned, Gao Xiuxiu asked about the situation, only for Granny Fang to snap, "That girl you had is so fragile."

"..." Gao Xiuxiu was upset by the remark and retorted angrily, "Mom, this child has suffered so much in your care. Last year, she nearly drowned, and now this happens again. You—"

"I didn’t do it on purpose," Granny Fang said defensively. "I was just giving her honey water—how was I supposed to know she couldn’t have it?"

"Didn’t Auntie Fatty say the child shouldn’t have honey?" Gao Xiuxiu asked.

When Auntie Fatty brought over the herbal jelly, Gao Xiuxiu had been home. Auntie Fatty had specifically warned them not to add honey for the child, fearing something might happen and they’d blame her.

"How was I to know she was telling the truth?" Granny Fang still had excuses. "I thought she was mocking us, like we couldn’t afford honey."

"..." Gao Xiuxiu was speechless at Granny Fang’s reasoning.

Growing up poor in the village, Granny Fang’s family rarely had luxuries, so feeding honey to very young children wasn’t common. If they ever got honey, they’d usually sell it to buy other necessities.

"It’s fine now," Granny Fang said dismissively. "Xu Dong is taking care of the child at the hospital. I offered to stay, but he insisted I come back. He has work tomorrow, so you should go relieve him."

"But we still have another child at home," Gao Xiuxiu said.

"I’ll take care of her," Granny Fang said. "She’s my own flesh and blood—of course I’ll watch her. Don’t worry, I won’t feed her honey. Some folks just don’t know what’s good for them."

After some thought, Gao Xiuxiu decided to let Granny Fang watch their younger daughter rather than take her to the hospital. At worst, Granny Fang would just let the baby cry—she never cared for granddaughters, always favoring boys.

At the hospital, Gao Xiuxiu told Fang Xudong to go home, but he refused.

"I’ll stay with the older kid. You go home and look after the younger," Fang Xudong said, worried his mother didn’t know how to properly care for a child. He had assumed she’d know, having raised so many kids, but now he had to reconsider—maybe she really didn’t.

"But don’t you have work tomorrow—"

"With this mess, how could I even go to work?" Fang Xudong said firmly. "You go home. I’ll handle things here."

The next day, Auntie Fatty visited Song Fenglan and told her about Gao Xiuxiu’s eldest daughter being hospitalized.

"They blamed it on the honey," Auntie Fatty said, still shaken. "Thankfully, when I dropped off the herbal jelly, I told them not to give the child honey. But they went ahead—probably thought I was insulting them."

Auntie Fatty couldn’t understand Granny Fang. If someone warned her the child shouldn’t have honey, why couldn’t she just listen? Why insist on causing trouble?

Twice now, that poor girl’s been hurt because of Granny Fang—last year and now this year.

"Wouldn’t surprise me if they’re glad it was the girl and not their precious boy," Auntie Fatty said scornfully. "They neglect that poor girl like she doesn’t matter. With their attitude, it’s a miracle the child has survived this long."

"Just because something’s old doesn’t mean it’s right," Song Fenglan said. "Some dangers they just didn’t know about."

When Song Fenglan was raising Qin Zihang in the capital, she had been extra careful. Worried her aunt might not know certain precautions, she’d gone over every little thing. Thankfully, her aunt hadn’t taken offense and had remembered the advice.

"Exactly," Auntie Fatty agreed. "In that family, boys get spoiled rotten, while girls? Tough luck."

"That’s their problem," Song Fenglan said without sympathy, not inclined to intervene on behalf of the little girl.

The girl had her own parents—it wasn’t Song Fenglan’s place to interfere. She hardly had time for her own kid, much less somebody else’s.

It wasn’t that she didn’t care. You could help Gao Xiuxiu’s kid once, but that’s it. Once you step in, good luck getting out.

Let’s not even mention when these people will be discharged or reassigned; given the current situation, they might still live here unless they move elsewhere.

"That’s true," Auntie Fatty nodded. "We’re just neighbors, not their relatives. As neighbors, helping out now and then is fine, but you can’t expect others to help every day. Thankfully, I told them not to let the child drink honey—if I hadn’t, it would’ve been my fault."

That evening after dinner, Auntie Fatty still went to Gao Xiuxiu’s house to kick up a fuss. The reason was that Granny Fang had been running her mouth outside, saying that if Auntie Fatty hadn’t brought herbal jelly, she wouldn’t have made honey water. She even claimed that Auntie Fatty and the others were eating watermelon, so Granny Fang wanted her granddaughter to have her share of treats too.

"I gave you food out of kindness, and you talk trash about me behind my back?"

"Didn’t I tell you not to give honey to the child?"

"Gao Xiuxiu, you were there too—not just your mother-in-law. Can you honestly say you didn’t hear it?"

"If I don’t give you anything, you call me stingy. If I do, you blame me for harming your child."

"That’s downright backwards! You don’t take care of your own child properly, yet you blame others?"

"We were eating in our own home—what does that have to do with you?"

"Are you that greedy? Must you have someone else’s watermelon?"

"That was brought by Feng Lan for both families to share. You want some too? Have you got no shame?"

"You talk behind Feng Lan’s back, thinking she doesn’t know, thinking I don’t know?"

"Sister Feng Lan is perfectly fine—she just doesn’t plan to have more children, yet you’re saying she’s damaged goods. You speculate about whether Colonel Qin will mind, whether he’ll abandon her later, and say one child isn’t hard to raise..."

...

Auntie Fatty stood at Gao Xiuxiu’s doorstep, yelling her head off without caring if the family was upset. If they were unhappy, so was she.

"It’s a misunderstanding," Gao Xiuxiu had to come out. Auntie Fatty’s loud accusations had drawn many onlookers. "My mother-in-law, she..."

"Don’t use her age as an excuse. Does being old give her the right to spout nonsense? Pulling the old age card?" Auntie Fatty snapped.

"Colonel Qin’s wife, she..."

"I didn’t call her here," Auntie Fatty said, snapping.

She hadn’t, but Song Fenglan came out to see on her own.

Hearing Auntie Fatty’s voice, Song Fenglan stepped out. By then, not only had Song Fenglan come out, but Political Commissar Zhao and his wife had shown up too. Political Commissar Zhao had been riding high—the new fighter jet’s test flight had succeeded. Though they had to keep it under wraps, everyone understood its significance.

The couple had been out for an evening stroll after dinner when they walked right into the drama.

"Fang Xudong!" Political Commissar Zhao called out. Fang Xudong had just returned home and hadn’t yet grasped what was happening when he heard his name.

"Present," Fang Xudong responded.

"Get inside!" Political Commissar Zhao needed to have a serious talk with him. They’d already transferred Staff Officer Xu—if Fang Xudong were also reassigned, it would signal problems. Even if they didn’t transfer him, they’d have to find another way. "Let me ask you—does being uneducated mean you can’t think straight?"