Chapter 146: Venting, A Basket of Eggs Smashed

Chapter 146: Taking Out Her Anger—Smashing a Whole Basket of Eggs

"New, everything must be new," said Gao Xiuxiu. "I didn’t make him wear hand-me-downs."

Gao Xiuxiu treated Fang Daniu and her unborn child well. She hoped Fang Daniu would give birth to a son—as long as it was a boy, the father would acknowledge the child.

Neither Gao Xiuxiu nor Fang Daniu considered the possibility that the man might refuse to recognize the child. Both believed Fang Daniu would rise in status thanks to her son. Once Fang Daniu married into the family, she could have another boy and have the child take the Fang name—that would be perfect. The doctor had said that giving birth might improve a woman’s health.

"All the clothes are ready-made, and they look very nice," Gao Xiuxiu said with a smile. "Tomorrow, we’ll wash them."

"Mm," Fang Daniu nodded. "The clothes can run a little large, but they absolutely can’t be hand-me-downs."

"I know," Gao Xiuxiu replied. "The baby in your belly is my precious grandson."

Grandma Fang brought in a piece of fabric, and Gao Xiuxiu’s expression darkened at the sight of her. Gao Xiuxiu thought to herself: *This old hag just won’t die.*

She prayed Grandma Fang would kick the bucket soon, but the old woman was still clinging to life and in decent health.

"This fabric is too old-fashioned," Gao Xiuxiu remarked.

"It’s newly bought," Grandma Fang said. "Not something dusted off from storage."

"The color isn’t nice," Gao Xiuxiu retorted. "You should keep it for yourself."

Gao Xiuxiu couldn’t stand Grandma Fang. Seeing this, Fang Daniu naturally didn’t insist on letting the old woman take the fabric back.

"Can this be used as diaper cloth?" Fang Daniu asked. "I’ve heard there are special disposable diapers now, so we don’t need fabric for that. But it could still be kept to make baby bibs or pouches."

"Yes, yes, of course," Grandma Fang replied, somewhat relieved. She had feared Fang Daniu would reject the fabric outright.

Grandma Fang was eager to please in front of Fang Daniu. But with Fang Erniu, she never hesitated to berate her—a classic case of double standards.

Fang Xudong no longer liked coming home early. When he did, seeing how Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang doted on Fang Daniu, he felt she was utterly spoiled. Fang Daniu had become a total burden now—pregnant and lording it over everyone, expecting the whole family to cater to her.

It was Fang Daniu’s own fault for getting pregnant before marriage. What did she have to boast about? She was deluding herself that the man would eventually marry her, never considering that he might reject her outright. Even if he had already made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her—having not visited Fang Daniu in a long time—she remained unshaken, banking on her pregnancy as leverage.

Fang Xudong didn’t know who to vent to about this. He could only endure it, telling himself to wait until after Fang Daniu gave birth to see if the man would step up. If nothing changed, tough luck.

After resting for two days, Song Fenglan went to visit Xu Yan. The twins were doing well—Xu Yan had given birth smoothly, and the children were healthy.

"The babies really look like Zi Hang," Xu Yan’s mother remarked.

"Yes," Song Fenglan agreed. She sat in the living room, not lingering in Xu Yan’s room.

"Mother-in-law, if you’re busy, don’t worry about us," Xu Yan’s mother said. "As for the full-moon celebration, your husband already mentioned that we can book the venue, and you’ll cover the cost."

"Right, that’s the arrangement," Song Fenglan nodded. "It’s only proper that we pay. You decide on the venue and the guest list. On our side, just three or four tables’ worth of close family will be enough."

A child’s full-moon celebration wasn’t a particularly grand affair.

Neither Song Fenglan nor her husband planned to invite many people—just those with close ties.

The Xu family felt the same. Inviting too many would only pressure guests into giving red envelopes. Even if they initially said no gifts were expected, people might still feel obliged or even resentful, worrying about taking time off work. Even if the event was held on a weekend, some would claim prior commitments.

Some relatives might assume it was just a boastful display and wouldn’t want to come at all.

Such was the nature of social niceties. If you could provide actual favors, people would gladly attend. But if not, they might not bother to come.

"If you need Zi Hang to do anything, just tell him directly. He's your son-in-law, no need to be polite," Song Fenglan said.

"He’s fine as he is," Xu Yan’s mother rarely asked Qin Zihang to do anything.

Xu Yan’s mother was very satisfied with Qin Zihang. He was faultless in etiquette, and most household matters were already in Xu Yan’s hands. As long as Xu Yan didn’t do anything stupid, life would be smooth. Xu’s eldest daughter often complained that her parents hadn’t introduced her to a good match. She had married for love, and though her parents had suggested matchmaking, she refused, insisting this era was meant for free love.

Xu Yan and Qin Zihang had met through an arranged introduction. Xu Yan’s sister often made jealous comments in front of their parents, implying they favored Xu Yan more. Xu Yan paid no mind—her sister wanted everything: love and material wealth, as if the world worked that way.

Before Xu Yan gave birth, her sister even asked to borrow money, claiming her husband had lost some in stocks. Xu Yan was exasperated—how could they play the stock market without understanding it, expecting huge returns? If they lost money, who else would?

When Zhang Xiaohu and his wife invested in stocks, they were cautious. Even if a stock seemed profitable, they never invested too much, afraid it could all vanish. That’s how the stock market was—what soared one moment could crash the next. If they weren’t careful, who would be?

Since their child was still young, Tan Wu wasn’t working. One of them had to stay home to care for the baby, and their parents couldn’t help full-time. Tan Wu relied on Zhang Xiaohu’s salary.

Zhang Xiaohu gave her most of his paycheck each month. Once, her mother called asking for money, but Tan Wu refused. Once her mother took the money, she’d never return it.

Fortunately, Zhang Xiaohu’s salary wasn’t low, so the family of three could still save some. The biggest cost now was baby formula.

Tan Wu had considered working while raising the child, but the baby was too young—the crying and fussing made it impossible. A nanny would cost too much, and they couldn’t trust one anyway.

"We should set aside some emergency savings," Tan Wu said. "Before the baby, we could invest more. Now, we’ll need to save up for school. If we want our child in a good school, it’ll cost even more. We only have one child—we’ve got to think ahead for them."

"Alright," Zhang Xiaohu agreed.

"Let’s open a savings account and deposit money every month. This account can’t be touched—it’s for emergencies," Tan Wu said. "We also need to save for tuition—kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school, and at least college. That’s a lot of money. When the child grows older, we should have them learn other skills."

"Other skills?" Zhang Xiaohu was puzzled.

"Yes, like piano or something," Tan Wu said. "These days, kids start young—parents plan their futures ahead. We only have one child, so we must do the same. We can’t let other kids show ours up."

Tan Wu had only finished middle school, so she wanted her child to be better educated—at least like Zhang Xiaohu. That way, they wouldn’t be looked down upon. Higher education meant better earnings.

"Our child can’t compare to your friend Qin Zihang’s. Theirs was born with a silver spoon—wealthy, educated. You’ve got the highest education in our family. You know how many graduates they have. You came to the capital for university and stayed, while your eldest brother remained in Nan City. Our child must stay here too—we can’t let them come back in disgrace."

"Yeah, no going back," Zhang Xiaohu agreed. Even he didn’t want to return—people would assume he’d failed.

"We didn’t invite your friends to the baby’s one-month celebration, and they probably won’t invite us either," Tan Wu said. "It’s not that important anyway. We only had two tables."

"Right," Zhang Xiaohu nodded.

"Watch your mouth," Tan Wu warned. "Don’t call your mom carelessly—she might slip up and say the wrong thing."

"She’ll be careful," Zhang Xiaohu said. "I won’t mention it."

Qin Zihang and his wife indeed didn’t invite Zhang Xiaohu and Tan Wu to the one-month banquet. Tan Wu had just given birth and needed rest.

You Yun, Eldest Brother Qin, and others attended the twins’ celebration. You Yun’s son was about to take the college entrance exam.

Eldest Brother Qin had high hopes for his youngest son, even hiring tutors. But the boy’s grades weren’t outstanding—top-tier universities were out of reach. At best, he might get into a second-tier school; otherwise, it’d be a trade school.

Still, he was better than Qin Lian. With Qin Lian as a comparison, Eldest Brother Qin couldn’t complain. If Qin Lian had excelled in college, he’d have been disappointed in his younger son. But Qin Lian had dropped out after middle school, never attending high school or university.

Returning from the banquet, Eldest Brother Qin thought about his son’s upcoming exams.

"He’s taking the exam next month," Eldest Brother Qin said. "He ought to study harder."

"I’ve told him," You Yun replied.

"Look at Zihang, so accomplished." Eldest Brother Qin wished Qin Zihang were his own son. Wouldn’t that be something if his boy could be that remarkable?

There was a time when Eldest Brother Qin believed he could outshine his younger brother Qin Yizhou in every way. But now he saw the truth—he couldn’t measure up to his brother, and his son paled in comparison to Zihang.

"He is remarkable," You Yun said. "Mainly because his mother is exceptional. She’s an academic researcher who mentors him. The school administrators know him and show him respect."

You Yun hated when her husband compared their son to Zihang—it was a losing battle. She never dreamed of competing with Song Fenglan. They were in completely different leagues. Song Fenglan was highly educated, conducted research, and had been Qin Yizhou’s first wife. Back then, under unique circumstances, Yizhou might not have been able to marry someone of her caliber otherwise.

"As for me? I’m a widow who married again. I can’t hold a candle to her. Even your ex-wife couldn’t, right?" You Yun said. "Some things are just fate. No changing that."

"I’m not trying to compete," Eldest Brother Qin insisted.

"Our son still turns out better than Lian," You Yun said. "He’s got good morals. But with all this family baggage, he’ll likely end up in the private sector."

You Yun had given up on her youngest taking government job exams. Even with passing scores, their family history might get him rejected. Better to aim for private employment—at least he’d draw a salary. Besides, they had some savings; the boy wouldn’t starve.

Song Fenglan attended the entire one-month celebration for her grandchildren this time, not ducking out early for work. She still thought highly of Xu Yan and the twins.

Meanwhile, Tian Kexian’s daughter remained with Tian Keshu. Keshu had considered making her niece move out, but the girl was young, her wages meager, and living alone risky. So she let her stay.

During a prison visit, Kexian asked about her daughter.

"Her paternal uncles will only look after the boys, not the girls," Keshu said. "I thought about having her work and rent a place, but her pay’s too low, and it’s unsafe. So I didn’t make her leave."

"Don’t you dare!" Kexian begged. "Don’t let her marry some random man. Make sure she chooses wisely—someone solid. Those smooth talkers will sweet-talk her, but it’s all lies. They seem perfect at first, then turn rotten."

Kexian knew this firsthand. A charmer had wooed her, then scorned her for bearing a daughter. When she finally had a son, he’d discarded her like trash.

Right then, she burned to shout: This is all your doing, Keshu!

But she bit her tongue. If she lashed out, Keshu might throw her daughter out. Kexian couldn’t let her girl end up on the streets—vulnerable to every predator.

"She’s still here," Keshu said. "Li’an and his wife haven’t demanded she go."

Had they insisted, Keshu might’ve steeled herself to evict the girl.

"Let her keep her wages. If you need funds, ask her to chip in for basics—but don’t take too much," Kexian warned. "She’ll need marriage savings later. Sister, you’ve got your own kids—don’t fleece mine. If anything happens to her, I’ll haunt you from the grave."

"I never touched her money," Keshu said, uneasy around her murderess sister. "We get rice and oil from my son’s grocery store. Mostly just covers groceries—home cooking’s cheap."

"It better be true," Kexian muttered. "Back then..."

She regretted ever getting involved with Second Song—and later, settling for that worthless man. Men’s promises are lies. They see women as breeding stock. How many ever truly love?

"Don’t let my daughter repeat my mistakes," Kexian said.

"I know," Keshu replied.

She hadn’t brought the girl. How could she? Kexian had killed the child’s own father. When asked if she wanted to visit, the daughter stayed silent—still wrestling with how to face a mother who’d done the unthinkable.

Come exam season, Eldest Brother Qin’s youngest sat for university admissions. Naturally, Song Fenglan’s family stayed uninvolved. The boy wasn’t applying to Capital Aeronautical University—his scores fell short.

When neighbors asked if she’d leverage the boy’s aunt—a professor there—You Yun shut it down.

"His aunt’s on faculty. Pull some strings?" they pressed.

"That won’t work," she said. "Admissions are fair and square."

"Wasn't there independent college admissions before?" the neighbor asked again.

"There was, but you still had to reach a certain score. My son doesn’t have that kind of luck—his grades aren’t good enough," You Yun said.

"You only have this one son, haven’t you tried to pull some strings for him?" the neighbor asked.

"There’s no way. If there were, it’d probably just be scammers trying to take our money," You Yun replied. "We have to rely on the proper college entrance exam—fair and square."

You Yun was fed up with what outsiders were suggesting. What did they mean by "find a way" to get into a good school or "pull strings"? If she really did that and got him in, she’d probably end up getting reported later. Did she not understand these people? If her family got an advantage while others didn’t, they’d just call it unfair.

As for their child’s college choices, You Yun and her husband didn’t consult Song Fenglan. Their relationship with her wasn’t good, and Song Fenglan wasn’t involved in college admissions anyway, so there was no need to ask. Eldest Brother Qin worked in the education bureau, but he was fair and impartial—there was no way he’d pull strings for Eldest Brother Qin’s son.

Song Fenglan didn’t pay attention to the college entrance exam. It wasn’t until she saw the news that she realized it was over.

"Wasn’t your eldest brother’s youngest son taking the exam this year?" Song Fenglan asked while eating a banana on the sofa.

"Yes, it was this time," Qin Yizhou nodded. "Now that the exam’s over, he applied to second-tier schools and is willing to accept reassignment. He’s prepared to attend a community college if needed."

"Oh." Song Fenglan didn’t have a strong impression of Eldest Brother Qin’s youngest son—they rarely met. "A community college isn’t bad."

After all, in this era, degrees hadn’t lost as much value yet. Going to a community college was still better than having no school at all.

"I didn’t ask much. Eldest Brother just mentioned a few things, and I listened," Qin Yizhou said. "He sighed, saying his son didn’t measure up."

"And then?" Song Fenglan asked.

"What was I supposed to say? It’s not like I could agree, 'Yes, yes, your son really doesn’t measure up—my son does,'" Qin Yizhou replied. "Their youngest son was enrolled early. The age difference between him and Zi Hang when taking the exam was only a year. His grades just weren’t good—sometimes, no matter how many tutors they brought in, it didn’t help much."

"As long as he can get into a community college, that’s fine," Song Fenglan said.

"Right, exactly," Qin Yizhou agreed. "At least he has a school to go to."

At this time, Fang Daniu had a baby girl in the hospital—yes, a girl, not a boy.

"How could it be a girl?" Fang Daniu couldn’t believe she had given birth to a daughter. She had been convinced she was carrying a boy.

Fang Daniu kept calling her unborn baby 'son' from the start. She even thought the baby responded to her. When she went for an ultrasound, she mentioned buying blue clothes for the baby, and the doctor had said, "Good, blue looks nice." Fang Daniu took that as confirmation that she was carrying a boy.

"Was the baby swapped?" Fang Daniu said.

Her words were exactly the same as Gao Xiuxiu’s when she had Second Girl—their first thought was that someone had swapped their babies.

When Gao Xiuxiu heard this, she immediately remembered when she had Second Girl.

"It’s a girl. The doctors showed her to us right after you gave birth," Gao Xiuxiu said, urging Fang Daniu not to make a scene like she had back then.

How could it be a girl?

Gao Xiuxiu had a headache. Her daughter had given birth to a girl—would the father’s family even accept the child?

They had already made it clear: no matter whether Fang Daniu had a son or a daughter, the outcome would be the same—they wouldn’t take responsibility for the child. Yet Fang Daniu and Gao Xiuxiu had both been convinced that as long as Fang Daniu had a son, things would work out.

Now that the baby was a girl, they looked down on her.

"Mom, what do we do now?" Fang Daniu asked.

"A girl’s a girl," Gao Xiuxiu said. "The doctors know. Even if we tried to switch it for a boy now, it wouldn’t work."

The father’s family had too much influence—they’d find out the baby’s gender with minimal effort.

"Good for nothing," Fang Daniu muttered as she looked at her daughter, thinking the child was completely worthless. Why did it have to be a girl?

When Fang Xudong learned his daughter had given birth to a granddaughter, he wasn’t surprised at all. Fang Daniu was just like Gao Xiuxiu—she’d kept insisting the baby was a boy long before it was born, even claiming the doctor had hinted it was definitely a boy.

And now? It was a girl.

The man’s family knew Fang Daniu had given birth, but no one came to visit. They looked down on Fang Daniu and certainly didn’t believe her child would be anything special. After Fang Daniu was discharged from the hospital, she made her parents go to the man’s family.

Fang Xudong didn’t want to go, but for his daughter’s sake, he had no choice.

Even though Fang Xudong worked at the police station, they didn’t give him any face.

"They were both willing. Your daughter got pregnant, and we offered to pay for an abortion, but she refused," the man’s mother said.

The man himself didn’t appear—only his mother received Fang Xudong and his wife in the living room. Talking at the door would’ve been humiliating, so it was better to sit inside.

"So you’re saying you won’t acknowledge the child?" Gao Xiuxiu demanded. "And you won’t let Daniu marry into your family?"

"That’s exactly what I mean," the man’s mother replied. "Didn’t your family say you wanted Daniu’s child to take your surname? Perfect—she’s had a child for the Fang family. Let the child be surnamed Fang."

"You—!" Gao Xiuxiu’s eyes widened in fury.

"The child isn’t just Daniu’s," Fang Xudong said, equally angry but forcing himself to stay composed.

"True, it’s not just hers. We can pay child support," the man’s mother said. "But don’t try to extort us—that’s fraud. Officer Fang, you wouldn’t want us taking this to court, would you?"

She wasn’t scared of Fang Xudong—just some small-time cop. The two kids got together on their own, and no one had forced anyone. The man’s mother just hated Fang Daniu, blaming her for her son’s lack of academic focus.

"My son is going abroad to study. He doesn’t have time for this," the man’s mother said, like it was already decided.

She had never considered Daniu’s feelings. She had arranged her son’s overseas studies without even informing the Fang family.

"Relax—my son’s not stuck on Daniu. He left for his studies happily. There’s plenty of pretty foreign girls out there, you know," the man’s mother sneered. "He was just young and dumb, got tricked by your girl. The world is vast—your Daniu isn’t the only woman in it."

"You—you—!" Gao Xiuxiu was shaking with anger. "How dare you say that?"

"There’s not a single chance my son will ever be with your daughter," the man’s mother said coldly. "If you don’t want the child, fine. Hand her over to us. We can afford to raise one more."

Gao Xiuxiu was stunned. "You’re not scared we’ll report your son for being a playboy?"

"You think this is the old days? They don’t shoot playboys anymore," the man’s mother scoffed. "Your daughter was the one chasing after my son. She figured getting knocked up would tie him down—just like you’re trying to trap us now. Isn’t it obvious? You’re just after our cash, trying to marry your girl into money."

"Enough," Fang Xudong cut in, unable to bear it any longer. He had expected this outcome, but hearing it was still unbearable. "We’re leaving."

"Wait," the man’s mother called.

Gao Xiuxiu thought she might have changed her mind—maybe she’d accept Daniu after all. "Daniu could go abroad with your son—"

"Here’s your money." The man’s mother placed a stack of cash on the table. "Take it. Your family’s broke—don’t drag the kid down."

Fang Xudong didn’t touch the money. He grabbed Gao Xiuxiu’s arm and dragged her out. She resisted, but he forced her to leave.

"How could we just walk away like that?" Gao Xiuxiu seethed.

As soon as they stepped past the iron gate, it clanged shut behind them.

Gao Xiuxiu looked back—those people were ice-cold.

"What else could we do?" Fang Xudong said bitterly. "Didn’t you hear what they said? They don’t give a damn about Daniu—not her, not the kid."

Here’s the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

---

"What are we supposed to do?" Gao Xiuxiu said. "Daniu has already given birth to his child. What will happen to Daniu in the future—"

"In this day and age, having a kid out of wedlock doesn’t mean she can’t marry someday," Fang Xudong said. "We’ll just have to raise the child ourselves."

"It’s not that we can’t raise the child, but with Daniu like this, it’ll be hard for her to marry later. People will judge her," Gao Xiuxiu said.

"And whose fault is that? It’s because we didn’t keep a close enough eye on Daniu, letting her make such a huge mistake," Fang Xudong said. "You were so busy thinking about chasing status, never considering the consequences. Now that things have turned out this way, you can’t blame them entirely."

"If not them, then who?" Gao Xiuxiu said, her eyes red. "Everyone in the housing complex knows Daniu is pregnant. They know—"

"And who told them? You did," Fang Xudong said. "Did you think that by announcing Daniu was pregnant with his child, they’d take responsibility? You saw it yourself just now—they’re not stepping up. They’re sending their son abroad to study."

The idea made Fang Xudong’s chest tighten. Of course, if possible, he’d want Daniu to marry that man. But the boy’s mother’s attitude was so clear—Daniu would never be welcome in that family. Even if she forced her way in, life would be miserable.

That family didn’t spare a single thought for Fang Daniu. They think she’s cheap, lacking self-respect.

"We’re leaving," Fang Xudong said.

"Just like that?" Gao Xiuxiu refused. "Can’t we at least try?"

"Try what? Are you going to take their hush money?" Fang Xudong said. "Take their hush money and let folks say Daniu had a child just to make money?"

"I…" Gao Xiuxiu didn’t know how to respond.

"Daniu’s just like you," Fang Xudong said, frustrated. Gao Xiuxiu still didn’t want to leave, insisting on humiliating themselves further. "We don’t even know if it’s a boy yet, and you were already calling it a son."

"I didn’t expect this either. I thought Daniu wouldn’t get stuck like I did. I—"

"Enough. Let’s go home," Fang Xudong said.

"Isn’t there someone who can fix this?" Gao Xiuxiu said. "It’d be best if Daniu could still marry into their family."

"Ask who? Who’d want to touch this dumpster fire?" Fang Xudong said. "Who has the influence to make that family accept Daniu? Do you think she’d be happy even if she married in?"

Impossible. With the way the boy’s mother treated Daniu and their family, Fang Xudong knew she’d never find happiness there.

They dragged themselves home. Old Mrs. Fang took one look at them and knew things hadn’t worked out.

"Mom, how did it go?" Fang Daniu asked anxiously as soon as Gao Xiuxiu entered. "When’s the wedding?"

"What wedding? He’s already flown off to study abroad!" Gao Xiuxiu snapped. "And here you are, foolishly waiting for him. Does he give a damn about you?"

"What?" Fang Daniu couldn’t believe it. "He promised he’d marry me!"

"Since when can you trust a man’s words?" Gao Xiuxiu said. "He was just stringing you along."

"Where’s Dad? Where’s Dad?" Fang Daniu asked.

"Stop thinking about him," Fang Xudong said as he entered the room. "They want nothing to do with you. You’ll just… have to settle later."

"How can this be?" Fang Daniu had been dreaming of marrying into that wealthy family, of becoming the lady of the house.

"Your mother and I heard it with our own ears. Even if you gave birth to a son, they wouldn’t accept you," Fang Xudong said. "Drop it."

"I don’t believe it," Fang Daniu said, bolting up to run out. "Go back and lie down," Fang Xudong said. "You just gave birth. You wanna wind up barren like your mother?"

"..." Fang Daniu felt a chill at these words—she couldn't bear the thought of becoming barren. She glanced at her mother, whose temperament had turned strange after losing the ability to conceive.

"Give up on him. That man's probably gone into hiding—he's not even home. Going out now to vent your frustration won't help," Fang Xudong said.

"Do men stop valuing women once they've had their way?" Fang Daniu asked.

How could Fang Xudong answer? Times are different now—they couldn't keep judging modern situations through old ways of thinking.

Others knew Fang Daniu had delivered, and some were grilling the Fangs:

"When's the man's family coming with betrothal gifts?"

"Is the baby staying with you? Not going to his family? Will Daniu move there after recovering from childbirth?"

"You can register the marriage later, but why not hold the wedding reception first?"

...

Folks kept asking Gao Xiuxiu these questions, well aware the man's family rejected Fang Daniu.

Gao Xiuxiu and Granny Fang had terrible reputations, and Fang Daniu wasn't much better. People jumped at the chance to talk trash.

Auntie Fatty visited Fan Yani and gossiped about Gao Xiuxiu's household.

"My neighbors aren't on speaking terms anymore. Gao Xiuxiu used to visit daily, but not since..." Auntie Fatty knew the scandal would bother anyone—they'd fear their kids ending up like Fang Daniu.

She thought: if Gao Xiuxiu and Granny Fang hadn't spoiled Fang Daniu rotten, she'd never have gotten herself into this mess at school. None of this would've happened without the premarital pregnancy.

"The man's family will take the baby—just not Fang Daniu." Living next door, Auntie Fatty had overheard Fang Xudong arguing with Gao Xiuxiu.

Fang Xudong refused to send the child over. A girl? That man's mother would never value a granddaughter.

"Are the Fangs keeping it?" Fan Yani asked.

"Most likely," Auntie Fatty nodded. "The kid'll take their surname."

"..." Fan Yani went quiet. Fang Daniu should never have carried this child.

"People keep asking Gao Xiuxiu when they'll hold the wedding reception—'After the birth and recovery,' they say."

"They could host it, but without the man's family agreeing, it's impossible," Fan Yani said. "Daniu might still find a husband someday... but this poor baby's the one who suffers."

"Exactly. Daniu kept saying it was a boy—turned out a girl," Auntie Fatty snorted. "A chip off the old block."

When Fang Erniu visited, Fang Daniu cursed at her. Gao Xiuxiu snapped that Erniu was trying to make Daniu miserable. Cold-faced, Erniu tried to take back her gift basket—until Gao Xiuxiu blocked her.

"Taking back a few eggs?" Gao Xiuxiu demanded.

"A full dozen!" Erniu had brought good eggs despite their strained relationship.

Though the sisters never got along, Erniu had come bearing gifts after hearing of the birth—only to get cursed at.

This wasn't her fault, Erniu thought. Daniu had dug her own grave.

"Leave those here," Gao Xiuxiu ordered.

As they wrestled, Erniu released the basket—Gao Xiuxiu fumbled it, and eggs smashed across the floor.

Here’s the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

Seeing this, Fang Erniu quickly left to avoid her mother scolding her again.

Gao Xiuxiu watched Fang Erniu leave just like that and started cursing at the door, "Ungrateful brat! Your sister is in such a state, and you still don’t know how to care for her?"

When Fang Xudong returned home, Gao Xiuxiu complained to him about Fang Erniu, "Was she really here to deliver eggs? I think she came to upset her sister. How did I end up with such a rotten kid?"

Fang Xudong didn’t believe it was Fang Erniu’s fault. He thought she had genuinely come to bring eggs, but Gao Xiuxiu’s harsh words had made her want to take them back.

"Erniu even bothering to visit her sister is already good enough," Fang Xudong said. "Daniu’s mess isn’t Erniu’s fault. Don’t take your anger out on her."

"I never said it was because of Erniu that Daniu ended up like this," Gao Xiuxiu retorted. "I just think she’s cold-hearted. Her sister is in this state, and just because she scolded her a little, she wanted to take the eggs away. If she hadn’t taken them back, they wouldn’t have broken, and I wouldn’t have had to clean the living room for so long."

"If you hadn’t provoked her, Erniu wouldn’t have gotten angry," Fang Xudong said. "Quit always picking on Erniu. I think she’s much better than Daniu—at least she wouldn’t get involved in such messy situations."

Fang Xudong found Fang Erniu much more reliable and wished Daniu could be more like her. Daniu had been spoiled to no end, and Fang Xudong didn’t even want to lecture her anymore. Since Daniu was still in confinement, he didn’t want to worsen her mood—poor recovery now would lead to suffering later.

Daniu’s scandal became the talk of the town, even reaching Song Fenglan all the way in the capital.

Song Fenglan had long suspected Gao Xiuxiu’s mental state was unstable. She’d done a poor job raising her kids, and bad upbringing would inevitably lead to major problems. Now that Daniu was in this situation, no one could help her—she had to find her own way out. "Families with daughters need to be extra careful not to let them be deceived," Song Fenglan said. "In the future, we must have Zi Hang and the others teach their daughters well—don’t let them be easily fooled. As girls, they must learn to protect themselves. Don’t expect the world to look out for them. Counting on others is a gamble. Real strength comes from within."