Chapter 117: Caught, How Could This Be a Misunderstanding?

**Chapter 117: Seizing This—How Could It Be a Misunderstanding?**

"Just asking to see if you've been mistreating her," Li Hui said.

"She's doing just fine and has already started school," Guo Peng replied.

"Is she still staying with your sister?" Li Hui asked. "Your sister’s not in love with you or something, is she? She—"

Guo Peng hung up the phone directly. He shouldn’t have answered it in the first place. Li Hui didn't give her name, so no one knew it was her. Someone had asked Guo Peng to take the call, so he came over.

The voice on the phone sounded different, so the operator at the public phone booth didn’t recognize her.

Li Hui hadn’t expected Guo Peng to hang up like that. She stared at the receiver in her hand. After Guo Peng remarried, his attitude toward her had become terrible. Li Hui still hadn’t married—she was infertile, and no man was willing to marry her, especially since so many people knew about her situation. A few men were interested, but they weren’t good enough for her, so Li Hui refused them.

Li Hui returned to the Li family home and picked up a banana from the table, peeling and eating it right away.

"Your daughter is fine and attending school," Li Hui told Eldest Sister-in-law Li. "If she’d stayed with you, you’d still have to pay her tuition."

"You called them?" Eldest Sister-in-law Li asked.

"Yes," Li Hui said. "After all, she’s my biological niece and also my adopted daughter. I needed to check." Li Hui thought that Guo Furong was the only one related to her by blood—not the Guo family. Since Li Hui had no children of her own, she wondered who would take care of her in old age. If Guo Furong could take care of her, that would be ideal.

"Don’t let her come back. Keep her there," Eldest Sister-in-law Li thought to herself. She knew Li Hui wouldn’t ask about Guo Furong without an ulterior motive. "You’re still hung up on Guo Peng, aren’t you?"

Li Hui didn’t answer. She really was still hung up on Guo Peng.

After returning to her hometown, Li Hui had dated several men, but none of them compared to Guo Peng. Every time, she found herself subconsciously comparing them to him. The more she compared, the worse she felt.

The happiness she once had was long gone, and now she was still scheming—there was no goodness left in her.

Qin Zihang stayed at Zhang Xiaohu’s house and didn’t look down on how modest it was. When he followed his mother during military postings, he had lived in similar conditions. Fan Yani even brought over some food, which made Qin Zihang a bit embarrassed.

"I’ll pay for it, I’ll pay for it," Qin Zihang insisted.

"No need," Fan Yani smiled. "Eat up—it’s a gift. Back when your mom lived here, she gave me a lot of things. When you moved back to the capital, she sold us a bunch of stuff cheaply. How’s your mom doing these days?"

"She’s doing well," Qin Zihang replied.

"I’m glad to hear that," Fan Yani said. Unlike Auntie Fatty, she hadn’t called Song Fenglan. Not because she didn’t want to, but because their relationship wasn’t as tight as Auntie Fatty’s with Song Fenglan. Plus, her kid was still little, so there wasn’t much to talk about.

Fan Yani didn’t want to bother Song Fenglan with everyday stuff. It was better to let her focus on her research.

"How long do you plan to stay in Nancheng?" Fan Yani asked.

"I’m leaving in a few days," Qin Zihang said. "I plan to visit other cities first, then come back."

"That’s good. After graduating high school, it’s great to get out and explore. See more of the world," Fan Yani said. "Get some life experience."

As Qin Zihang prepared to leave Nancheng, Zhang Xiaohu still hadn’t received his college acceptance letter. Zhang Xiaohu was getting anxious, afraid he wouldn’t get in.

"You’ll make it. Don’t worry," Qin Zihang reassured him. "Your grades are good enough."

"I hope so," Zhang Xiaohu said. "If I don’t get in, I’ll have to repeat a year, and people will laugh at me."

"Who cares if people laugh?" Qin Zihang said. "As long as you get into college, what does it matter?"

"You're right," Zhang Xiaohu replied.

"Do you want to go for a walk too?" Qin Zihang asked.

"No, I'll stay at home," Zhang Xiaohu replied. "My parents decided to buy a house in the capital, so we need to save some money."

"Alright." Qin Zihang didn’t insist on Zhang Xiaohu accompanying him—every family has its own struggles.

Not every household had that much money. Qin Zihang had some prize money from competitions, and his parents and grandparents still gave him pocket money. Since he had more money, he could spend more freely. While traveling, he was also careful not to appear too wealthy, so he wouldn’t draw any trouble.

Zhang Xiaohu saw Qin Zihang off at the station and only returned home after Qin boarded the train.

When Zhang Xiaohu got back, he saw Auntie Plump sitting in the yard picking vegetables.

"Mom," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"Once you start earning money in the future, you can travel around," Auntie Plump said.

Back when Song Fenglan lived next door, Auntie Plump already knew their family’s financial situation wasn't as good as Song Fenglan's. Now, it was even less likely to compare.

Auntie Plump envied Song Fenglan but also understood that not everyone could reach her level of financial stability.

"It's fine," Zhang Xiaohu understood his mother’s meaning. "You work with what you’ve got."

"Mm, as long as you understand," Auntie Plump said. "When you go to the capital for school, don’t try to keep up with Zi Hang. You’re different. His family has been there for years—with money and connections. You’ll get by better if you stick with him, Xiao Hu, but don’t push your luck."

"I won’t," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Getting some benefits is already good enough. Why would I push my luck?"

"Mm." Auntie Plump nodded. "Your Aunt Fenglan is an incredibly kind person. Back when you were in middle school, she arranged for you to go to the capital to broaden your horizons. She went out of her way for you—paid for things, pulled strings. Where else in the world would you find someone so good?"

Auntie Plump feared Zhang Xiaohu might become ungrateful. If he ever did, she’d cut him off without a second thought.

Qin Zihang went to Shanghai, where his family had a place, but he planned to stay in a hotel. He wanted to explore several big cities before returning to the capital.

Song Fenglan and her husband had known about Qin Zihang’s plans all along. They didn’t mention anything about his mother, letting him enjoy his trip.

Half-paralyzed, she needed a caregiver’s help for everything.

Qin’s mother was all about appearances—when she was a mother-in-law, she acted like one; when she was a mother, she played the part. Now, as an employer, she insisted on behaving like one. She nitpicked her caregivers to death.

If she couldn’t talk, it’d be one thing. But she could—and she did.

"You’re just slacking off. I want to sit in the yard for some sun, and you say ten minutes is enough," Qin’s mother grumbled. "I ought to dock your pay! You don’t deserve it!"

The caregiver was at her breaking point. Docked here, docked there—soon she’d owe them money!

So she went to You Yun, saying she couldn’t take it anymore and asking her to find another caregiver.

"I’ll leave once you find a replacement," the caregiver said. "You’d better hurry—I’m about to snap."

"Do you really have to go?" You Yun had a headache.

"I have to. Your old lady’s impossible to please," the caregiver said. "Helping her to the bathroom? Fine, that’s my job. But she has hands—she can feed herself, yet she insists I do it, saying I’m not doing it right. When I massage her legs, she says I’m too rough. If I go lighter, she says I’m weak. If I’m out of her sight for a few minutes, she swears I’m sneaking bites of your food."

This was torture!

"I’m only human," the caregiver said. "I get paid to do a job, but this is ridiculous."

The caregiver was fed up with Qin’s mother. "Good luck finding someone who’ll put up with her."

Unless Qin’s mother changed. But being half-paralyzed just made her meaner. She took her frustration out on everyone. Since You Yun and her husband weren’t around all the time, and Qin’s mother worried about her future care, she bit her tongue around them.

Mrs. Qin was yelling at Tian Keshu, and sometimes she also complained about the caregiver.

"Alright, then we'll find someone else," You Yun said reluctantly. "We'll have to trouble you for a few more days. Once we find a replacement, you can leave."

"Okay," the caregiver agreed.

That evening, You Yun brought up the issue of the caregiver with Eldest Brother Qin. Just thinking about it gave her a headache.

"Mom’s impossible," You Yun said. "This caregiver is actually pretty good—she's strong enough to lift Mom, help her sit on the toilet, and even bathe her. We hardly need to help at all. But Mom keeps finding fault, and now the caregiver came to me saying she can't do it anymore. With Mom’s condition, it won’t be easy to find another one."

"We’ll just have to put up with it," Eldest Brother Qin replied. "Mom’s upset because her body has just become like this. That’s why she’s acting this way."

"I know," You Yun said. "But if she keeps this up, no caregiver will stay. What then?"

"Just pay more money. Someone will take the job," Eldest Brother Qin said. "Tell the caregiver to ignore it."

"How could she? She’s not deaf," You Yun countered. "She’s also afraid we’ll accuse her of mistreating Mom and refuse to pay."

"Eldest Brother Qin sighed."

"You should talk to your mom," You Yun said. "She needs to control her temper. Yes, the caregiver is paid to do the job, but she’s still a normal person. No one likes being scolded—she just wants to do her work in peace."

"How do I even bring it up?" Eldest Brother Qin said. "You know how Mom is now. Nothing we say makes a difference."

"You—" You Yun began, exasperated, but knew he was right. "We can’t have caregivers quitting every ten days or so. How many replacements will we go through in a year?"

She couldn’t stand having so many strangers coming in and out of the house, couldn’t bear the constant drama.

It was just too painful. You Yun wished Mrs. Qin would behave better, but that simply wasn’t in her nature.

Why couldn’t Mrs. Qin just lose her voice?

The thought crossed You Yun’s mind—if Mrs. Qin couldn’t speak, so many things would be easier. They wouldn’t have to keep asking her to stay quiet or stop making trouble.

Song Fenglan and her husband stayed out of the Qins’ caregiver issues. As per Old Mr. Qin’s instructions, they just sent money.

When they heard about the caregiver changes, they weren’t surprised. Mrs. Qin had never been easy-tempered, and with her body in that state, she was bound to vent her frustrations on others.

"Doesn’t your mom worry no caregiver will want to care for her eventually? This is already the second or third one, right?" Song Fenglan remarked while watching TV in the living room.

"No helping it," Qin Yizhou said. "The way she talks—always saying the most unpleasant things. Who could put up with that? The pay isn’t even that high. Even if we offered more, they’d still want to quit."

He was secretly relieved that he didn’t have to deal with it himself. If it were up to him, he’d be going crazy—just endless trivial complaints from his mother.

"Would you stick around for that?" Song Fenglan said. "Just to get yelled at? If caregivers keep quitting, the problem is clearly your mom. It can’t be that every single one is terrible and bullying her."

Mrs. Qin couldn’t even move her lower body, yet she still had so many demands. With You Yun and the others often at home, the caregivers wouldn’t dare mistreat her—yet she still made things difficult. Who else was to blame?

If she were in You Yun’s place, Song Fenglan thought she’d despise Mrs. Qin’s behavior. Why couldn’t she just behave instead of stirring up unnecessary trouble? Life was already difficult enough.

"That’s true," Qin Yizhou said. "But there’s no other way. Eldest Brother and his wife will just have to find another caregiver. They don’t have the time to care for Mom themselves."

"Will you go over?" Song Fenglan asked.

"No," Qin Yizhou said. "And you don’t need to either. What Mom needs is to calm down. Maybe after some time, she’ll snap out of it."

The next day, Qin Lian wheeled Mrs. Qin into the yard early in the morning. The weather was too hot, so they had to return shortly after. Qin Lian, unemployed and staying at home, took on more caregiving duties. He knew he’d made a grave mistake—his father hadn’t been working in the relevant unit but had left his position within the system.

Qin Lian could feel his father’s disapproving gaze putting him on edge. He feared becoming the sacrificial lamb, that his father might withhold everything from him. Taking extra care of Mrs. Qin was also his way of trying to change the Qins’ opinion of him.

"Has your mother come over?" Qin's mother asked.

"My mother?" Qin Li'an was puzzled. "Mom went out to buy groceries."

"I don't mean your stepmom—I'm talking about your birth mother. She still hasn't finished paying the compensation," Qin's mother said. "She's worthless. You must never have anything to do with her again. Bad weeds grow tall. If she hadn't married your father back then, he wouldn't have ended up like this. Her family harbored a spy and still tried to hide it, yet they dared accuse others of having bad backgrounds. This time, if it weren’t for you, I’d make sure she ends up in jail."

Tian Keshu didn’t end up in jail, which ate at Qin's mother. Even knowing that Tian had taken a job washing dishes, she remained unsatisfied. Tian was still free as a bird—so what if she got divorced? Her second husband wasn’t much better anyway. Maybe she wanted out all along. This whole mess just gave her an excuse to leave Weng Guoqiang.

Qin's mother wished she could kick Tian Keshu a few times, but her legs weren't what they used to be.

"Don’t take after your real mother," Qin's mother said. "She’s a troublemaker who ruined our family. She washed her hands of us and left without a second thought, not caring how hard we struggle. Because of her, your uncle and aunt look down on us."

"Grandma..." Qin Li’an didn’t know what to say.

"The compensation—your mother still has to pay it," Qin's mother said. "If she doesn’t, you go and get it from her. That’s what she owes."

"Uh-huh." Qin Li’an nodded.

"Speak up!" Qin's mother snapped.

"I’ll go and ask Mom for the compensation," Qin Li’an said loudly. "I won’t let her off without paying a thing."

"That’s right. That’s my grandson," Qin's mother said. "You just had bad luck being born from Tian Keshu’s belly. If you hadn’t come from her, your life wouldn’t be like this. Look at Qin Zihang—with the Song family behind him, he got recommended straight to university and even traveled after high school. Even now, with me like this, he still hasn’t come back."

Qin's mother went on and on. Qin Li’an didn’t dare join in badmouthing Qin Zihang. He already understood the gap between them—he could never become someone like Qin Zihang in this lifetime.

All he could do was humor his grandmother. "Grandma, I’m here with you. This happened because you went to pick me up. If you hadn’t gone to get me, you wouldn’t be like this."

Now, Qin Li’an had to hold on to his grandmother tightly. The rest of the Qin family despised him—he couldn’t afford to lose his last lifeline.

When Zhang Xiaohu received his university acceptance letter, he was thrilled. The people in the compound urged his family to throw a party. Auntie Fat didn’t go all out—she just put out two tables and invited a few guests. No need to invite too many.

Zhang Xiaohu had gotten his acceptance letter, but someone else hadn’t—a martyr’s daughter. Zhang Xiaohu knew her; they were neighbors in the same compound.

The girl had also gotten into a university in the capital, though not one as prestigious as Capital University of Political Science and Law.

Zhang Xiaohu thought it over and decided to call the capital.

At the time, Qin Zihang wasn’t there—he was still traveling. Song Fenglan was home, and when she heard Zhang Xiaohu explain the girl’s score and that she hadn’t received her letter, she asked:

"Could there be something wrong?"

"I’ll check on it," Song Fenglan said.

"Thanks so much," Zhang Xiaohu replied. "Her score wasn’t low—she should’ve gotten something. Even if she was redirected to another school, she should’ve been notified."

"Don’t worry. It’s late now. I’ll go check in person tomorrow," Song Fenglan said. "I’ll go directly to the school."

"All right," Zhang Xiaohu nodded.

Song Fenglan hung up, figuring the letter was either lost or stolen. She went to the Song family first, tracking down her eldest brother, who worked in the education bureau and had more connections.

When her eldest brother heard what Song Fenglan had to say, he frowned.

"That score… there’s no way she wouldn’t get in," he said. "I checked the admission thresholds for southern provinces just today. Otherwise I wouldn’t recall. How come she didn’t get one?"

"She didn’t," Song Fenglan replied.

"What are your thoughts?" Brother Song asked.

"I suspect someone might have intercepted it to impersonate her," said Song Fenglan. "Her score was decent but not outstanding—not top-ranking, just middle-of-the-pack. If she didn’t get in, people might not have noticed and assumed she genuinely failed. That’s why I wanted to check if she really didn’t make it or if someone stole her spot. I told Xiao Hu I’d look into it tomorrow."

"Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it," said Brother Song. "Give me her name and contact details. Once I confirm, I’ll call you."

"Alright," agreed Song Fenglan.

"If it really is impersonation..." she added.

"We’ll see. First, have her come quietly—no need to draw attention," said Brother Song. "Impersonation isn’t a one-person job—there’s a whole system behind it. We need to follow the trail and expose everyone involved."

Just as Song Fenglan suspected, the girl had actually been admitted.

Those people were downright despicable, daring to bully a martyr’s daughter. They probably thought she was an easy target—just some girl—and took advantage of her. Her score wasn’t outstanding, and with information being spotty back then, others might’ve assumed she simply failed.

Out-of-province schools usually had limited local slots. If someone didn’t get in, they’d usually assume their score fell short. If they weren’t reassigned to another school, they might think those schools were full.

Brother Song made calls, but not to the local education bureau—there could be insiders there. Instead, he told the girl to keep it quiet and come with Zhang Xiaohu and the others. He explained things to her mother, who was desperate for her daughter to go to college and fully cooperated.

By late August, Qin Zihang got back to the capital and only then found out about his grandmother’s paralysis.

"They seriously argued outside the prison?" Qin Zihang found it unbelievable.

"Yeah," nodded Song Fenglan. "They really did."

"Grandma never liked me—she always favored Qin Lian. Guess this is karma," said Qin Zihang.

"Go with your father," said Song Fenglan. "Bring some gifts, but be careful. If she treats you poorly, leave immediately. Understand?"

"Got it. I’m not a statue—I can move," Qin Zihang replied. "I know what to do."

"Good," said Song Fenglan.

Despite Qin Zihang’s grandmother’s condition, Song Fenglan couldn’t stop him from visiting. The old woman, now in a wheelchair, kept yelling at her caregivers, burning through them one after another. Qin Zihang’s father slept separately to avoid her nightly tantrums. With the caregivers neglecting her, she started to smell from sitting around all day.

The night before Qin Zihang’s visit, Song Fenglan reminded Qin Yizhou:

"Stick close to Zihang. Don’t hang back if your mother ignores you. He’s your son—who else should you support?"

"I’ll stay by his side," promised Qin Yizhou.

They spoke in their room while Qin Zihang was in his own.

"I’m not just picking on your mother, but she’s rarely been kind to Zihang," said Song Fenglan. "She always coddles Qin Lian and puts Zihang down. Even my mom never badmouthed him. Outside, who dares say Zihang isn’t exceptional?"

As his mother, Song Fenglan knew Qin Zihang well and had others keep an eye on him to prevent duplicity.

"Don’t worry, I’ll watch over him," said Qin Yizhou. "Mom’s temper really is something."

"Exactly," Song Fenglan agreed. "She still refuses to change. Soon, no caregiver will tolerate her."

"She..." Qin Yizhou hesitated. "Maybe she thinks her fall means she won’t live long, so she’s acting out."

He understood his mother’s fear. Once active, now confined to a wheelchair, she dreaded further decline but was powerless to change it.

"If she’s not long for this world, she should enjoy herself—eat well, not just stir up trouble," said Song Fenglan.

"As long as they didn’t cause us any trouble, that’s fine,” Qin Yizhou said. “We can’t manage everything anyway.”

The next day, Qin Yizhou brought Qin Zihang to the Qin household. It had been a long time since Qin Yizhou had seen Qin Lian—except when she came asking for money. Qin Lian didn’t want to see him, so he stayed out of sight. This time, though, he appeared by her side because of Qin Zihang.

“Grandma, I came to see you,” Qin Zihang said tonelessly.

Qin Lian looked at Qin Zihang. Sitting in her wheelchair, she thought he was tall and well-mannered, nothing like Qin Li’an, who looked like a petty thug at first glance.

“Just back from the capital?” Qin Lian asked.

“Yesterday,” Qin Zihang replied. “I got some life experience traveling through a few big cities.”

“Didn’t your mom tell you I fell?” Qin Lian asked.

“We didn’t mention it,” Qin Yizhou said. “We handled things ourselves, so there was no need for Zihang to come back. It was good for him to get out and see more. Once he starts university, like his mother, he’ll be tied up in the lab most of the time anyway.”

“Who asked you?” Qin Lian snapped. “Before, you wouldn’t even show your face. Now that your son is here, suddenly you appear.”

Qin Lian seethed. She felt like a mother wasn’t as important as her son—clearly, Qin Yizhou valued Qin Zihang more. If only Zihang were his only son. Looking at the grown young man before her, she realized he wasn’t a child anymore, so she couldn’t scold him like before.

“Are you staying for dinner or going back?” Qin Lian asked.

“I’ve got to go back and tidy up. School starts soon,” Qin Zihang replied.

“Living on campus?” Qin Lian pressed.

“No,” Qin Zihang said. “At home. We have an apartment near the research institute. It’s close to the university too, so I’ll live there.”

“Your family’s got plenty of real estate,” Qin Lian remarked. “Back in the day…”

“That place was assigned through Mom’s job,” Qin Zihang added. “Nowadays, lots of people want to rent or buy around there—the schools are good.”

Qin Zihang picked up on the dig in her tone and mentally rolled his eyes. He’d never mooched off the Qins—so why was she taking shots at him and his mom?

“And it’s not just the one near Mom’s job,” Qin Zihang continued. “Mom also had my uncle help buy other places. She said if I ever can’t get funding for research, I can still pay my own way. I told her, with a mom like hers, how could I not make it? I’ll definitely get funded. She advises grad students, so I can learn from her and other professors too.”

Hearing Qin Zihang say “my mom” over and over made Qin Lian bristle. In his eyes, his mother was the best person in the world—and he never gave the Qins any credit.

“You weren’t born from your mom alone,” Qin Lian said pointedly.

“True, but lucky for me, I didn’t inherit the crappy genes from Dad’s side,” Qin Zihang shot back.

“…” Qin Lian’s temper flared. She glared at Qin Yizhou. “What’s your son trying to say?”

“He’s telling the truth,” Qin Yizhou said. “He wouldn’t lie to you. Mom, don’t you know what kind of people you raised?”

“It’s Tian Keshu’s bad genes!” Qin Lian snapped. “All from her!”

There was no way Qin Lian would admit her own blood was flawed. “If you’d gotten my genes, do you think you’d be so lucky?”

“That’s just statistics,” Qin Zihang said.

“If you don’t want to stay, then get out—both of you!” Qin Lian shooed them away.

In the past, Qin Lian would’ve torn into Qin Zihang, but now she knew he wasn’t a kid anymore, so it wasn’t right to criticize him openly.

As Qin Zihang left, he saw Qin Li’an approaching with a glass of water for Qin Lian. Qin Zihang didn’t stick around. Qin Yizhou walked beside him.

When Qin Li’an reached Qin Lian, she took a sip and frowned.

"Is there no juice at home?" Mother Qin asked.

"I'll go make you some fresh juice," Qin Lian replied.

"Never mind, never mind." Mother Qin looked at Qin Lian. Ever since he was released from prison, he had been sticking close to her. She thought he wasn’t the problem—it was Tian Keshu who was to blame. If Tian Keshu hadn’t pushed her, she wouldn't have become half-paralyzed, and her darling eldest grandson wouldn’t have been looked down on by everyone.

Father Qin wanted to find a job for Qin Lian, but with his criminal record, even when he reached out to friends, none would help. His eldest son was worried that Qin Lian might affect him and had no intention of helping either.

After discussing it, Father Qin and his eldest son decided that Qin Lian should run a convenience store. They couldn’t let him laze around at home forever. But they also planned to wait a while before setting up the store, letting Qin Lian stay with Mother Qin for now to keep her from making a fuss.

After leaving the Qin household, Qin Zihang couldn’t help but ask, "Dad, has Cousin Qin Lian really changed for the better?"

"Do you believe it?" Qin Yizhou asked.

"How should I know?" Qin Zihang said. "I know people can pretend."

Qin Zihang disliked Qin Lian and avoided interacting with him. Whether Qin Lian had truly changed or not, Qin Zihang knew he would still bring trouble.

"Keep your distance from him," Qin Yizhou said. "He’s got his dad and brother—those are their responsibilities, not yours. He has his father and grandparents; they’ve got his back."

While Tian Keshu was washing dishes at the restaurant, her younger sister Tian Kexian came by.

Tian Kexian's life wasn't much better. She and her husband still rented a place, and he was a gambler—he’d gamble away any money he had, never holding onto a dime. Others would save to buy a house and improve their family’s life, but not Tian Kexian’s husband. He only cared about living comfortably himself. At night, he’d go out to eat well, sometimes bringing something back for the kids if he felt like it, but often not.

"Sis, you're really here washing dishes?" Tian Kexian said.

Before, Tian Kexian had thought Tian Keshu marrying Weng Guoqiang was a good thing—at least he didn’t gamble, and they could occasionally afford meat. Sometimes, she even thought her own husband wasn’t as good as Weng Guoqiang. But now, Tian Keshu had divorced him too.

"Sis, you've got a divorce curse," Tian Kexian said. "No matter who you marry, it always ends the same."

"Came to mock me?" Tian Keshu said.

"Of course not. You’re still my sister—why would I laugh at you?" Tian Kexian said deliberately. "I just didn’t expect you’d be washing dishes. You never liked doing this before."

Of course, Tian Keshu didn’t like washing dishes—who did? But she had done plenty of chores in the past. Now, she could wash dishes well, though her hands ached from being soaked too long in water.

"If it’s too hard, just marry someone else," Tian Kexian suggested. "Even if you end up divorced again, at least you’d have some company for a while, and you’d have some breathing room financially. Want me to introduce you to someone?"

"No!" Tian Keshu didn’t believe Tian Kexian would find her a decent man.

She wasn’t thinking of remarrying now. Men were no good—all they did was abandon her the moment trouble arose.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was time for university to start. Zhang Chenghai and his wife brought Zhang Xiaohu with them, along with another mother and daughter pair. The latter were picked up by Song’s eldest brother, who was looking into a case of identity fraud.

Zhang Chenghai’s family stayed at Song Fenglan’s home in the capital. It was Auntie Fatty’s first visit.

"Wow, your place is this fancy?" Auntie Fatty exclaimed. The sofa, the lamp, the TV… everything was top-notch, even better than what she'd seen on TV.

"It's nothing special," Song Fenglan replied modestly. "Didn’t you say you wanted to buy a house? My second brother has been asking around. We can take you to see some later."

"Yes, we do want to buy," Auntie Fatty said. "Of course, we can’t afford anything as nice as yours—just an ordinary place. Zi Hang mentioned your family owns several properties. You told us before to buy houses, but with two growing boys, expenses pile up. Where would we get the money? This time, we’re dipping into our savings, and we might still be short. Zi Hang said he’d lend us the rest, and Xiao Hu can pay him back later."

"Sure, no problem," Song Fenglan said. She couldn’t refuse—Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang were close. "Make yourselves at home. After registering Xiao Hu, you can see the sights in the city. It’s rare to visit—make the most of it. I just don’t have much free time to show you around myself."

"That’s fine, that’s fine. Xiao Hu can come with us," Auntie Fatty said. "He’s been here before."

"I can join you too," Qin Zihang said. "But we’ll have boot camp after classes start."

"You go about your business," said Auntie Fatty. "Chenghai and I are grown adults—it’s not like we’ll get lost!"

"It's fine, you can join a tour group," Song Fenglan replied.

Zhang Chenghai and Qin Yizhou went for tea together. Since Qin Yizhou didn’t drink alcohol, Zhang Chenghai abstained as well. When Qin Yizhou told him he could drink if he wanted, Zhang Chenghai still declined.

"You really landed a good match," Zhang Chenghai said wistfully.

The two sat in the courtyard. Zhang Chenghai looked around at the flower beds and then at the big tree nearby. The yard was quite spacious, and the house wasn’t bad either. He had always thought that Qin Yizhou must be living comfortably in the capital, but he hadn’t imagined it would be this good.

"You could say that," Qin Yizhou said, unfazed. "These days, it’s all thanks to my wife."

"Even getting help like that isn’t bad. My wife is always saying how great yours is—our family has been lucky to have your family’s help too," Zhang Chenghai said. "And besides, if it weren’t for you being here in the capital, we wouldn’t have known..."

Zhang Chenghai glanced around cautiously. "...about that case of identity theft for college admissions."

"Yeah, now that it’s happened, it needs to be dealt with," Qin Yizhou replied. "You don’t have to worry; there will definitely be a fair and just outcome."

"Speak softly—don’t let anyone else hear," Zhang Chenghai warned. "They told us to keep it under wraps—no leaks."

The mother and daughter had originally gone back to their so-called hometown first before coming to the capital, precisely to avoid suspicion. People figured they’d never show up in the capital, assuming they hadn’t gotten into university and had slunk back home defeated.

"In a few days, once things are settled, we can go public," Zhang Chenghai said.

On registration day, the impersonator was caught, along with the parents involved. They never expected to be discovered—the people who helped them handle the paperwork had assured them everything was done perfectly and couldn’t possibly be found out. Yet when they came to register, they got busted right then and there.

"It’s a mix-up, I swear!" the person arrested kept shouting. The girl who had taken someone else’s place stood there stunned. In reality, she had known all along that she was an impostor—she had even stolen her own classmate’s identity—and yet she had kept her mouth shut. She was desperate to go to college.