Chapter 149: Happiness (End of Main Text) Waiting for You to Return

"Mom asked me to stay," Tang Lu said.

"Mom let me stay, but she made it clear she isn’t leaving her assets to me," Tang Lu replied. "She still plans to donate everything. I have my salary, and I’ll have a pension—I don’t need Mom’s money. And you? You’re capable. Why obsess over Mom’s money?"

"If I don’t keep an eye on it, others will," Tang Shaotao snapped, convinced that as the eldest son, he deserved more while his brothers shouldn’t get as much. "Think your other brothers are saints? The third brother divorced and remarried just to return to the city, even dumping his kid on us—is that right? The second one’s after Mom’s money too. Who’d say no to more money?"

He was certain that without his vigilance, the others would snatch it all.

"They blame me for setting a bad example as the eldest," Tang Shaotao ranted. "They’re all dumping blame on me, acting like they’ve done nothing wrong, like they’re perfect. Nonsense! Pure nonsense! When have they ever been so good? Never!"

"How should I know?" Tang Lu shot back. "I’m not the one saying it. Do whatever you want, just let Mom rest. She’s elderly—life hasn’t been easy for her."

"Her life’s hard? What about ours?" Tang Shaotao retorted. "You don’t live here—you’ve no idea how much she’s donated. Schools, welfare homes—money everywhere. Does she even care we’re struggling? Why not give it to us?"

The thought burned him. He was Song Fenglan’s biological son, after all.

"That’s Mom’s money, not yours. She decides how to spend it," Tang Lu said. "Just keep quiet."

"And you? Staying with Mom now—planning to get—"

"Listen—I’m not taking a cent of Mom’s money," Tang Lu cut in. "I’m single. No hypothetical kids to worry about."

The Tang family never changed—pressuring Song Fenglan, pressuring her. If she ignored them, they’d badger her endlessly.

Song Fenglan wasn’t surprised. The Tangs were always like this—fixated on her money. No matter how often she refused, they never listened, never cared what she thought.

Even Song’s mother thought they’d gone too far. "After all these years, they’re still after your aunt’s money. Won’t give up."

"Let them," Song Fenglan said. "We can’t stop them. It’s her money. Whether she changes her mind or not—it’s none of our business."

She understood. Some things weren’t theirs to decide.

During Tang Lu’s stay in the capital, the Tangs hounded her to sway Song Fenglan. It grated on her—she couldn’t stand them. All they did was push her to "think of the nephews."

Did her nephews lack hands and feet? Did they need Song Fenglan’s money to survive?

Yet like flies, the Tangs swarmed around Song Fenglan, buzzing at Tang Lu too.

Song Fenglan knew they’d approached Tang Lu. Even unspoken, she knew their tactics.

"If they’re after my stuff now, they’ll come after your money later," Song Fenglan warned. "No spouse, no kids—when you’re old, your nephews will target your assets."

"My hard-earned money isn’t theirs," Tang Lu said flatly.

"Not my words," Song Fenglan said. She wouldn’t stop Tang Lu from giving to the Tangs—that was her choice. After years with them, it’d be natural if she did.

"Of course not. I’ve got my own mind," Tang Lu said. "The way they act, you’d think they can’t survive without leeching off others. But they’re doing fine—they don’t need help."

"True," Song Fenglan agreed. "They’re just greedy."

After a while in the capital, Tang Lu returned to Nan City. She visited Song Fenglan when she could, and saw the Tangs too—though every encounter left her exasperated by their overcomplicating everything.

Fang Xudong never set Fang Daniu up, but she got herself a man anyway. Jobless with no plans to work, what else was there? Plenty of men don’t mind her having a kid, though Fang Xudong disapproved.

"His mother’s temper’s vile. Marry into that, and you’ll be miserable," Fang Xudong warned.

"They have a house, and who knows when it might be torn down for compensation," Fang Daniu said.

"Demolition?" Fang Xudong replied. "That's just talk. Even if it does happen, they have several brothers—they’ll have to split it all."

"Even if it's divided, they’ll still get a fair share," Fang Daniu said. "Dad, when I was with my ex, you said his family was too high-status. Now, you’re criticizing my current boyfriend for not being impressive enough. According to you, should I even date anyone at all?"

"You..." Fang Xudong thought Fang Daniu just didn’t get it.

"Dad, if Second Girl were dating, would you say the same things to her?" Fang Daniu retorted. "No, you wouldn’t. You always take her side."

Fang Daniu always believed Fang Xudong favored Fang Erniu more. Fang Xudong had secretly visited Fang Erniu before.

Fang Xudong was speechless. Most of the family’s belongings had been taken by Fang Daniu—how could she even accuse him of favoring Fang Erniu? Fang Erniu had received very little, hardly anything of real value.

Two years passed in a blink, and Fang Daniu got married, doing things her way without caring about Fang Xudong’s opinion. Helpless, Fang Xudong could only let her go ahead.

Two years were enough for many things to happen.

Guo Furong found a job and didn’t return to Li Hui’s hometown. Li Hui was fuming but couldn’t do a thing. She didn’t dare go to Nan City, scared her business would get out. She once called Guo Furong, but Guo Furong outright refused her.

Perhaps because the Tang family was too troublesome, or because Third Aunt Song had been stuck too long on that farm, she got sick a year after Song’s father passed away.

Third Aunt Song could still move around—she wasn’t paralyzed, but her health had deteriorated. Tang Lu rushed back from Nan City to the capital to see her, planning to stay until things were sorted out.

Even as Third Aunt Song lay seriously ill, Tang Shaotao’s crew still tried to grab stuff from her home. Third Aunt Song directly contacted higher-ups, asking them to keep tabs on what was there and prevent the Tang family from taking anything.

The Tang brothers hadn’t seen that coming. They’d figured they’d walk off with something. When she barred them from entering, they still tried to force their way in. Second Brother Song even hired bodyguards to keep them out.

Tang Lu called Tang Shaotao out, their antics making her sick.

"Mom is already in this state, and you’re still causing trouble?" Tang Lu said. "She’s bent over backwards for you."

"Fair?" Tang Shaotao snapped. "She gave it all away—even her company. She didn’t leave a single thing for us."

"Those were her belongings," Tang Lu replied.

"You keep harping on ‘hers, hers, hers,’" Tang Shaotao retorted. "We’re her children. She should have passed them to us, not given them away to strangers!"

"Enough. Mom’s will was set in stone," Tang Lu said.

Even during Third Aunt Song’s lifetime, the Tang family made a stink. At her funeral, Tang Shaotao and the others continued making a scene. Later, they even sued the authorities, claiming their mother’s assets rightfully belonged to them—arguing they’d been filial, visiting her monthly, and thus deserved an inheritance.

Tang Lu ignored them entirely. After arranging the funeral, she returned to Nan City. She washed her hands of it. As she prepared to leave, Tang Shaotao even tried to attack her, but Tang Lu, well-trained, ducked like a pro.

The Tang family insisted Tang Lu must have taken something, which drove her up the wall. She had indeed received a set of jewelry—specifically left to her by Third Aunt Song. Everything else had been donated.

Third Aunt Song had once considered leaving things to Song Fenglan but ultimately decided against it, knowing how troublesome the Tang family could be. Besides, Song Fenglan didn’t need those things—her lab got government grants, sparing her any financial worries.

Song’s father was gone, Third Aunt Song was gone, but Song’s mother remained alive. She still lived with Eldest Brother Song, though Second Brother Song suggested she could stay with him or rotate among the three siblings’ homes.

Song’s mother declined the rotation, preferring to stay with her eldest son. Since they all lived on the same street, she could visit her second son and daughter anytime.

The Tang family’s lawsuit had nothing to do with the Song family, who didn’t need to get involved. Third Aunt Song’s will was ironclad, ensuring the Tang family couldn’t win. She had even left a letter detailing their mistreatment, to be published only if they contested the will.

When the Song family faced hardship, Tang’s father divorced Third Aunt Song and forced the children to sever ties with her. She had kept newspapers from that time as evidence, all handed over to the authorities. Unsurprisingly, the Tang family lost.

Tang Shaotao resented Third Aunt Song deeply. They had tried so hard to seek her forgiveness, yet she refused to leave them even a single penny.

The nerve—absolutely shameless!

Tang Shaotao and the others couldn’t cause trouble in front of the Song family, so they could only blame each other, each brother saying the others should have done better. They even got into fistfights, which made the newspapers.

When Song Fenglan learned about the Tang family’s affairs, she was just dumbfounded. These people only cared about Third Aunt’s property.

After Third Aunt passed away, she even received awards in the film and television industry, and the Tang family still wanted to claim the trophies. But it was useless—those trophies were also part of the donations. Third Aunt had anticipated every possible scenario and made sure the Tangs couldn’t profit.

"Your aunt was really thorough," Song Mother said at Song Fenglan’s home. "Those people really would fight over anything."

"Yes," Song Fenglan nodded. "They just want to get things without working for them. If they had treated Aunt better earlier, even if they had cut ties, they could have still shown kindness in private. But the problem was, once they cut ties, they truly cut her off and never treated her well again."

Song Fenglan found those people absolutely vile. No wonder Third Aunt dealt with them the way she did—they deserved it.

"Your aunt used to be a pushover," Song Mother said. "But after going to the farm and experiencing so much, she couldn’t stay so naive. She wasn’t unaware of those things—she knew even before being sent to the farm, she just didn’t say it outright. Later, she wised up and stopped pretending she didn’t know. She preferred to be blunt—if she didn’t want to give something, she wouldn’t. It was the Tang family who refused to accept it. They kept coveting what your aunt had. It wasn’t your aunt toying with them—they brought it upon themselves."

During her time on the farm, Third Aunt worked hard, and her health suffered. If she hadn’t been sent there, she might have lived longer. But before her death, she was satisfied with her life. She had even made a TV show, which many people loved.

"Yes," Song Fenglan agreed. "Aunt donated everything."

Song Fenglan had never coveted Third Aunt’s possessions. All she wanted was for her aunt to live happily and comfortably—that was what truly mattered.

About two years after Fang Daniu got married, she divorced. It wasn’t because she reconnected with an ex-boyfriend, but because she despised her husband for being incompetent. She was fooling around with other men, and her husband couldn’t tolerate it, so they split. When Fang Daniu divorced, she was already knocked up—she didn’t even know if the child belonged to her ex-husband or her lover.

Fang Daniu had no choice but to return to the Fang household—she had nowhere else to go. Fang Xudong was fed up. He had warned his daughter that the man was unreliable, but she insisted on being with him, leading to this mess.

What else could Fang Xudong do? He had to let his eldest daughter move back in. Fang Erniu, on the other hand, was more sensible. She married a steady and reliable man, and the two built a stable life together. When Fang Erniu got married, Gao Xiuxiu wanted a huge dowry, but Fang Xudong refused. He didn’t want to burden Fang Erniu’s partner. Thanks to Fang Xudong, Fang Erniu was able to marry smoothly.

After Fang Daniu returned home, Gao Xiuxiu was somewhat displeased.

Gao Xiuxiu had doted on Fang Daniu for years, but now that Fang Daniu was grown, she still ruled the roost at home. Gao Xiuxiu had already raised Fang Daniu’s first child, and now she had to take care of the pregnant Fang Daniu as well.

"Maybe the baby in my belly is a boy. If it’s a boy, he’ll carry Dad’s name," Fang Daniu knew exactly how to manipulate Gao Xiuxiu.

Gao Xiuxiu was dying for a grandson. She felt she had failed Fang Xudong by not bearing him a son, and Fang Daniu’s first child was also a girl. If Fang Daniu could give birth to a boy, how wonderful that would be.

Once Fang Daniu returned, everyone soon found out.

Auntie Fatty and Fan Yani also heard about it, and both thought Fang Daniu was a piece of work.

"What’s the point of all this?" Auntie Fatty couldn’t help asking Fan Yani. "Pregnant again, divorced, and no one even knows who the father is."

Everyone knew Fang Daniu had been seeing other men—she was busted in the act, which led to the divorce. Fang Daniu had no intention of settling down. She only cared about what benefits a man could bring her. If a man couldn’t improve her life, she’d kick him to the curb without a second thought.

"Who knows," Fan Yani said.

Fang Daniu always saw herself as a forward-thinking woman who didn’t need to conform to others’ expectations. She even said as much when she went out, claiming that the world had moved on—if a couple wasn’t compatible, they should divorce rather than force themselves to stay together, as that would only lead to misery.

When people heard Fang Daniu’s words, they were speechless. Fang Daniu was no forward-thinking woman—she was just lazy and expected men to provide her with a better life.

"Second Girl is much more level-headed," Auntie Fatty remarked.

"Second Girl had it rough," Fan Yani said. "No one cared for her, so she had to grow up on her own. If someone had loved her, she wouldn’t have had to rely solely on herself."

"How’s your Fu Rong doing?" Auntie Fatty asked.

"She’s a kindergarten teacher now. She knows her situation," Fan Yani replied. "She isn’t careless with men—if she gets into a relationship, she knows what kind of man to look for. If she doesn’t find a decent partner, she’ll only suffer, right?"

Fan Yani was cutthroat. When she married her husband, she did so because he was at least an officer. She would never return to the countryside—she was determined to live in the city. Fan Yani had clear goals and knew exactly what she wanted.

Here’s the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

Guo Furong now is no different, very similar to the former Fan Yani. Others even say Guo Furong really was raised by Fan Yani, as their temperaments are so alike.

"Has Li Hui been looking for you?" Auntie Fatty asked.

"Ah, Fu Rong told them that if they want alimony, they can sue for it," Fan Yani said. "Fu Rong was dumped on us by the Li family—we didn’t snatch her away. If they want money, they’ll have to follow the legal process."

Guo Furong was firm and stubborn as a mule. The other members of the Li family didn’t say much about her, knowing she hadn’t grown up with them and wouldn’t side with them. Li Hui, however, despised Guo Furong. She had originally wanted her niece as an adopted daughter, hoping the girl would support her in old age. But now, Guo Furong wouldn’t budge, insisting on going to court before giving any money, leaving Li Hui completely at a loss.

The crux of the matter was that Li Hui had never raised Guo Furong—she had abandoned her.

"That’s good, that’s good," Auntie Fatty said. "Just follow the law. If Fu Rong compromised, they’d only demand more."

"Exactly," Fan Yani nodded. "Those people are no good."

The Li family favored sons over daughters. If it had been a boy, they would never have given him to Li Hui or neglected him.

The twins had grown quite a bit, and Xu Yan often took them to visit Song Fenglan and her husband. When the couple was on leave, Xu Yan would bring the children over.

The little ones were adorable, their words sweet and charming.

Song Fenglan sometimes even personally baked pastries for them. This was the good life, and she loved it.

Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou sat in the yard, watching the grandkids play in the dirt with little shovels, planting flowers and grass.

"Zi Hang was like this when he was little too," Song Fenglan said.

"Zi Hang was even more mischievous," Qin Yizhou replied. "He got dirt everywhere."

Song Fenglan glanced at the grandchildren—they were doing the same, scattering dirt everywhere. She didn’t say more, knowing Qin Yizhou was always hard on their son. His attitude toward the grandchildren was much better.

Meanwhile, Fang Daniu gave birth to another daughter—yes, still a daughter, not a son. Fang Erniu, on the other hand, had a son. But since she was married off and hadn’t divorced, the child naturally didn’t carry the Fang name.

Fang Daniu was worried Fang Erniu might have her son carry the Fang name, fearing she’d come back to fight for the family property. Fang Erniu thought this was nonsense—she had never coveted the Fang family’s assets. It was Fang Daniu who was obsessed with them.

Gao Xiuxiu didn’t let Fang Erniu’s son carry the Fang surname. She and Fang Erniu didn’t get along, so Fang Erniu rarely brought her child back to her parents’ home.

The two girls lived in the Fang household, their backgrounds nothing to boast about, and people still gossiped about them.

Fang Xudong didn’t know how his life had turned out this way. He was sure Fang Daniu’s two daughters probably wouldn’t fare much better. Neither Gao Xiuxiu nor Fang Daniu were capable of raising children well. Fang Xudong was helpless—he had to work and barely had time to care for Fang Daniu’s two kids.

As the city expanded, some houses in the residential compound were marked for demolition—mostly the single-story homes, not the apartment buildings. Those who had once schemed to live in the apartments now regretted it, wishing they had stayed in the larger single-story homes, which got them bigger payouts and earlier money.

Fang Xudong naturally wanted to give Erniu one of the condemned houses and some money, but Gao Xiuxiu and Fang Daniu both objected.

"Dad, both my children carry your surname!" Fang Daniu argued. "I didn’t take in a son-in-law, but it amounts to the same thing. These two girls are your granddaughters. Erniu is married off, and her child isn’t even a Fang. If you leave the house to her, will she even lift a finger for you in the future?"

"Whether she does or not, this is what she deserves," Fang Xudong said.

Despite all the kicking and screaming from Gao Xiuxiu and Fang Daniu, Fang Xudong still gave Fang Erniu a house and some compensation.

Fang Erniu had prepared herself to receive nothing, so this was a windfall.

Once everything was settled, Fang Erniu realized her father must have gone through hell for her sake. She made up her mind to look after him better in the future—he was the only one in her family who truly cared for her.

Fang Daniu, fuming over being shortchanged, resented Fang Xudong. Her attitude toward him was terrible, and she barely tolerated Gao Xiuxiu. She moved into her new house but only visited Fang Xudong and Gao Xiuxiu because she was scheming for their property.

Fang Xudong saw right through Fang Daniu—she was after his assets, and Gao Xiuxiu still sided with her.

Here is the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

Grandma Fang had already passed away. If she were still around, she would probably have insisted on Fang Xudong's nephew coming over. She would have said that Fang Xudong's nephew didn't own a house in the city and that since Fang Xudong had three relocation houses, he should give one to his nephew.

Now, Fang Xudong and his wife live in one house, Fang Daniu has one, and Fang Erniu has another. Even so, Fang Daniu is still dissatisfied, feeling like she got a raw deal.

Auntie Fatty's family was over the moon to receive the demolition compensation. With relocation houses and compensation money, life would be much easier. However, more people started borrowing money from them, which led to fights with relatives and ruined once-good relationships when Auntie Fatty refused.

With the compensation money, Auntie Fatty and her husband went to the capital to visit Zhang Xiaohu, bringing him some money. The relocation house was in South City, but since Zhang Xiaohu wasn't there, the house went to his older brother, while the money went to Zhang Xiaohu—both receiving roughly equal shares.

Auntie Fatty and her husband had already explained this to Zhang Xiaohu to avoid any sense of unfairness. Dividing it between both sons seemed fair enough.

"Dad, Mom, why don't you just retire here in the capital?" Zhang Xiaohu said during dinner.

"No," Auntie Fatty replied. "We're not used to it here. We like South City better—it suits us more."

"South City has a humid climate, not as dry as the capital," Zhang Chenghai added. "Your older brother and his wife are there. With them around, you don't need to worry about us."

This time, Auntie Fatty and her husband enjoyed their trip to the capital and even visited Song Fenglan's home. Song Fenglan was off work and happened to be home. Auntie Fatty admired the beautiful flowers in Song Fenglan's yard—the flower patches were particularly gorgeous, and the yard also had grapevines and plenty of children's toys.

"Not planning to stay long?" Song Fenglan asked.

"No, just here for a while before heading back," Auntie Fatty said. "We're not used to this place."

"That makes sense. You've got more connections in South City," Song Fenglan remarked. "When you're older, you prefer living in familiar places. In unfamiliar ones, it's hard to even know how to talk to people."

Some city people live in their own little bubbles. Unless you've known them for a long time, it's difficult to form new connections now.

Song Fenglan loved the capital—she had many acquaintances here. Auntie Fatty told Song Fenglan about the situation in Gao Xiuxiu's family. Over the demolition compensation, Fang Daniu and Fang Erniu had a complete falling-out.

"Fang Xudong really held his ground by giving part of the property to Fang Erniu," said Auntie Fatty. "Erniu is much more reliable than Daniu. Daniu only cares about grabbing things from the family. If she hadn’t been dumped and divorced, would she have let her kids take their grandfather’s surname? They’re just two girls—no one would fight over them. They’re just left to rot with her."

Auntie Fatty had no hope for those two girls’ future. With a mother like Fang Daniu and a grandmother like Gao Xiuxiu, the kids were bound to turn out bad sooner or later. Fang Daniu only knew how to fight with Fang Erniu—what was the point? They were both Fang Xudong’s own daughters.

"Gao Xiuxiu and Fang Daniu refused to give anything to Erniu," Auntie Fatty said. "That mother and daughter are so selfish, only thinking about themselves and never about Erniu. Erniu has had it hard. If she didn’t take those things, Gao Xiuxiu and the others would still criticize her. It’s best she took them—they’re actually worth a good amount. Erniu and her husband were renting before, but they’ve worked hard and saved up for a down payment. I heard they’re about to buy a new house."

Auntie Fatty sighed. Who would’ve thought Gao Xiuxiu would let life turn out like this?

"Some people from the old apartment buildings are now saying they ‘let’ us have the bungalows," Auntie Fatty scoffed. "Give me a break! Back then, they fought to live in those apartments—no one wanted the bungalows. Now they act like I’m some backward hick? I lived in a bungalow in the countryside, so of course I’d keep living in one now."

Auntie Fatty just wanted to roll her eyes. Those people are delusional. Back then, they chose the apartments—who could they blame now? There was no way she’d hand over her family’s compensation money to them. With that money, their standard of living had improved significantly.

"Fan Yani’s family got compensation too, and they didn’t give any to Fu Rong," Auntie Fatty said. "And rightfully so—Fu Rong’s hukou wasn’t with them, and she wasn’t blood-related. She had no right to fight for it. I heard Li Hui even called Fu Rong, telling her to demand a share, but Fu Rong didn’t."

"Fu Rong shouldn’t have fought for it," Song Fenglan said. "If her hukou had been there, maybe she could’ve."

"Exactly," Auntie Fatty agreed. "Back then, Guo Peng cut ties with the adoption to avoid trouble from the Li family. Ya Ni never registered Fu Rong under her household either, just to prevent disputes. Raising Fu Rong was already more than enough—how could Fu Rong even think of demanding more? Because of this, she even broke up with her boyfriend."

"Broke up?" Song Fenglan was surprised.

"Yeah, broke up," Auntie Fatty confirmed. "Her boyfriend wanted her to fight for some money. Fu Rong decided they weren’t right for each other, so she ended it."

At least Guo Furong had some decency. She knew she couldn’t compete with Fan Yani’s own children for those things. Even if she tried, no one would back her up.

Song Fenglan invited Auntie Fatty and her husband to stay for dinner, and they even took a look at the twins. Auntie Fatty envied Song Fenglan—those twins were growing up so well.

Xu Yan was very filial, even cooking herself, and was doing great all around.

Auntie Fatty reflected on her two daughters-in-law, neither of whom was as capable as Xu Yan alone. Tan Wu hardly paid much attention to Auntie Fatty and her husband, while Lin Jiajia occasionally visited them. Neither came close to Xu Yan’s level of devotion. After mulling it over, Auntie Fatty felt it was only natural—Song Fenglan was wealthy and cultured, so her daughter-in-law was naturally more filial. If she herself had been as capable as Song Fenglan, her daughters-in-law might have been like Xu Yan too.

Auntie Fatty didn’t question whether Xu Yan was just putting on an act—Song Fenglan didn’t need her daughter-in-law to pretend.

Xu Yan had always been this way, striving to treat her mother-in-law well and doing everything she could to the best of her ability. She wanted her kids to take after their grandmother, and if they could get into good universities and pursue research in the future, that would be wonderful.

After Auntie Fatty and her husband left, Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou took a short walk in the yard.

"So much has changed," Song Fenglan sighed.

"Would you like to visit Nan City?" Qin Yizhou asked.

"Even if I went, it’d be the same. Not just Nan City—the capital has changed a lot too," Song Fenglan said. "High-rises are popping up all over, the economy is booming, the city keeps expanding outward ring by ring, and the streets are jammed with traffic."

She thought back to the capital of her childhood, which had been far less developed. Even public transportation had undergone massive changes. In the future, the capital would only grow more prosperous.

"True," Qin Yizhou nodded. "The changes have been enormous."

Tang Lu lived solo in Nan City, no spouse in sight. She had drawn up a will early on, making the same choice as Third Aunt Song—donating all her assets to the state. Tang Shaotao and others had once suggested sending a nephew to live with Tang Lu, but she refused.

They were all Tangs—who didn’t see through each other?

Those people were only after what Tang Lu had. Even crumbs were worth fighting over. The problem was, Tang Lu’s nephews and nieces were struggling—they lacked ability, lived in cramped spaces, some even rented because they couldn’t afford to buy. Naturally, they eyed Tang Lu’s property and money.

Tang Lu laid her cards on the table to the Tang family, but Tang Shaotao and the others cursed her over the phone.

"Are you even a Tang anymore?"

"What, you’re a Song now? Why don’t you just take Mom’s surname?"

"You think you’re so great? Is this how you treat us?"

...

Tang Lu had no patience for their crap and simply hung up.

When Jian Lili met Tang Lu at a restaurant, she asked if she had really decided to donate her assets instead of leaving them to her brothers, nephews, or nieces.

"Why should I leave anything to them?" Tang Lu scoffed. "All they do is leech off the childless. They’re useless but greedy for others’ things—how can that last?"

"It really can’t," Jian Lili agreed. "But sometimes, they don’t ask for much. What you’ve got could spare them decades of grind."

"I slaved for years to build this. Why the hell should I give it to them?" Tang Lu retorted. "Just because we share blood? Should I hand everything over to them? What are they worth?"

Tang Lu loathed the Tangs, hated sharing their blood. She had never married or had children, fearing her offspring might turn out like the Tangs—how pathetic would that be?

Besides, few men in this world were trustworthy. Once, Tang Lu had considered taking a step forward, but she found those men too damn flawed. It was better to live alone, free from serving in-laws or a husband. Life was way easier this way.

Folks felt sorry for Tang Lu’s ‘loneliness’, but that was their perspective, not hers.

"Fair enough. As long as you’re happy," Jian Lili said. "My children... sigh. After kid two and three, more just means more headaches."

Jian Lili had violated the family planning policy, bearing extra children. To avoid detection, she had sent them away to be fostered, only bringing them back years later. Now, her eldest daughter was distant, the second daughter struggled mentally, and the youngest son only ever asked her for money.

It drove Jian Lili up the wall, but what could she do? They were her own.

"Just personal choices," Tang Lu said.

Tang Lu was old now, retired, but she never returned to the capital. She didn’t want to deal with those people—Nan City was just fine by her.

Gao Xiuxiu thought Fang Daniu would take care of her in her old age, but that was never the case. Fang Daniu only saw Gao Xiuxiu as a burden. While Fang Xudong was alive, things were tolerable, but once he passed away, Fang Daniu was quick to throw Gao Xiuxiu out. In the end, it was Fang Erniu who rented a place for Gao Xiuxiu to live. By then, it was too late for Gao Xiuxiu to regret anything.

Fang Erniu didn’t visit Gao Xiuxiu much. Gao Xiuxiu had been tricked by Fang Daniu into transferring the property title early. If Gao Xiuxiu hadn’t given up the house, Fang Daniu might’ve kept up appearances.

Gao Xiuxiu’s later years were pathetic, but she had brought it upon herself.

Fang Daniu was soon roped into a scam by a man, leading to her mortgaging both her properties and eventually being evicted. She thought the man truly cared for her, but he just wanted her money. By the time Fang Daniu realized it, it was too late for regrets.

Her two daughters also distanced themselves from her. Unlike Fang Erniu, they refused to work just to rent a place for Fang Daniu. Fang Daniu constantly harassed and troubled them, so they simply left Nan City to stay far away.

Left with no choice, Fang Daniu turned to Fang Erniu, but Fang Erniu blew her off. Eventually, Fang Daniu had to work and rent a place herself, left to scrape by.

When Song Fenglan learned that Tang Lu had chosen to stay in Nan City, she wasn’t surprised. Song Fenglan had already retired but was rehired due to her strong capabilities. She could still continue working.

Others were in awe of how Song Fenglan could adapt to new things, saying she was incredible.

At this point, Song Fenglan no longer mentored grad students or PhD candidates—Qin Zihang did. Sometimes, Qin Zihang found his students too frustrating, baffled by how clueless they were. When he complained to Song Fenglan, she needled him, saying he’d probably been just as bad in his teachers’ eyes.

"No way, back then, they all praised me for being smart," Qin Zihang refused to admit he had ever been slow.

"Oh, *everyone* praised you," Song Fenglan chuckled. "How many didn’t?"

"..." Qin Zihang wasn’t buying it. He just hoped his students would be smarter and work harder—he didn’t want any of them to delay graduation.

Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou threw a party for their 30th anniversary. Qin Yizhou often joked that their wedding feast back then might as well not have happened. Now, over forty years into their marriage, their bond remained strong.

After retiring, Qin Yizhou wasn’t rehired. He enjoyed making pastries at home and gardening, thinking that since life was short, he’d rather spend more time with his wife.

Whenever Qin Yizhou heard noise at the door, he’d peek out to see if Song Fenglan had returned. Seeing her, his face would light up with joy—he loved that feeling.

Some said it should be the woman waiting for the man, but Qin Yizhou disagreed. A man could wait for his wife just the same.

"Dinner’s ready," Qin Yizhou said with a smile. "If you’d come any later, it would’ve gone cold."

"You could’ve eaten first," Song Fenglan replied.

"I wasn’t hungry. I’d rather wait for you," Qin Yizhou said. "I just snacked a little to tide me over."

Holding Song Fenglan’s hand as they walked inside, Qin Yizhou felt that such simple, warm moments were what happiness was all about.