Though she wasn’t short on money, idle time still felt like a waste.
Pastries were something both the wealthy and children loved.
It’s just that most people in the village couldn’t bring themselves to spend money on such treats.
But if she priced them a little lower, earning some pocket money would still be easy.
She knew how to make many kinds of pastries—osmanthus cakes, mung bean cakes, rice cakes, and more.
They were all simple to prepare and guaranteed a good return.
Si Nian had noticed that the village was rather poor, with Zhou Yueshen’s family being one of the few exceptions.
The local economy had improved mainly because his pig farm provided jobs, lifting many households out of hardship.
Most people still relied on farming to get by.
Though more individuals were starting small businesses, and everyone could see how profitable they were, the villagers were used to their modest, hardworking ways. Few dared to take that leap, especially without the capital to start.
Si Nian felt that, aside from a handful of unpleasant characters, most people in the village were decent.
They just lived difficult lives.
The women who had come to help yesterday, for instance, were all up before dawn, toiling endlessly like overworked oxen.
In this remote rural area, the preference for sons over daughters ran deep. Most women her age in the village had never been to school—illiterate from birth.
They labored for their families as children, for their in-laws after marriage, and for their own children in old age.
As if this were their unchangeable fate.
Si Nian saw it all. Though she couldn’t change their circumstances, she genuinely wished these women didn’t have to suffer so much.
She was going to school and had a different path ahead.
So she thought that for those she was close to, she might teach them her pastry and snack-making skills. Even if they couldn’t run big businesses, small ventures were worth a try.
Take the Lin family, for example. Her sister-in-law was clever and skilled, especially in cooking.
Si Nian planned to teach her how to make pastries. Zhou Suisui was honest, kind-hearted, and still young.
Now that her eldest brother was helping Zhou Yueshen with deliveries at the pig farm, she and her mother could set up a small stall at the market. They’d surely earn more than they could from farming.
During her last visit to the Lin family, she’d noticed their land wasn’t great—mostly sandy soil.
Her eldest brother was busy, and their father had trouble getting around.
With just two women working the fields, how much could they really grow? A small business would be far more practical.
With these thoughts in mind, Si Nian felt settled on the idea.
But there was no need to rush. Seeing that it was getting late, she headed to the kitchen. The wedding banquet had drawn far more guests than expected, leaving only a bit of pork trotters and ribs.
She decided to make a nourishing soup for dinner—this time, just for herself.
Meanwhile, Sister-in-law Zhu had just returned home with the mung bean cakes when she ran into her sister-in-law, Little Zhangqian.
Instinctively, she hid the cakes behind her back.
“What’s that, sis?” Little Zhangqian was her husband’s younger sister. She’d had a few years of schooling and considered herself educated.
Pampered at home, she was lazy and always hoarded the best things for herself.
Just yesterday, she’d snatched the mung bean cakes meant for the children. Their mother-in-law doted on her, so Sister-in-law Zhu had no choice but to buy some from Si Nian today.
And now, here she was again.
“Nothing,” Sister-in-law Zhu replied with an awkward smile.
Zhang Qian sneered sharply, "Oh, I just got back and saw it all—that woman from the Si family gave you a whole bag of mung bean cakes, and here you are pretending otherwise. Trying to keep it all to yourself, huh? We haven’t even divided the family yet, Sister-in-law Zhu. How selfish can you be?"
"I don’t want much, just give me half."
Sister-in-law Zhu’s expression darkened. "Little Zhangqian, I’ll give you a few pieces to try. There are so many kids at home—if I give you half, there won’t be enough..."
Half was downright greedy.
"Kids don’t eat that much anyway. And aren’t you close with Si Nian? If you run out, just ask her for more!"
"Enough, enough, just hand it over. I’m starving." Little Zhangqian snatched the mung bean cakes from her hands, munching as she strode into the house.
Her eyes darted slyly. Yesterday was Big Brother Zhou’s wedding, and Zhou Suisui hadn’t even returned yet. But Si Nian was so generous—giving away such good stuff in such large quantities!
She’d heard everything!
In the city.
Fu Yang returned to the Fu residence, his entire being radiating cold fury.
Fu Qianqian was in the middle of complaining about how the Si family had attended the wedding empty-handed when she spotted her brother and gasped in surprise. "Brother, where have you been? Let me tell you, I went to Si Nian’s wedding yesterday—it was so grand!"
The Fu couple also turned puzzled eyes toward their son. He’d been on leave yesterday, yet the man who usually spent his free time holed up in his study had vanished the entire night.
Now he was back, looking weary and reeking of alcohol.
Fu Qianqian leaned in for a sniff, wrinkling her nose in exaggerated disgust. "Ugh, Brother, how much did you drink? You stink!"
The Fu parents frowned at their son.
Clearly, they had no idea what had happened either.
Since childhood, Fu Yang had been reserved, keeping everything to himself—never sharing his troubles with anyone.
It made him hard to get along with.
And that trait hadn’t changed as he grew older.
"Wait—don’t tell me you were so thrilled that Si Nian got married and would never bother you again that you went out celebrating last night?" Fu Qianqian guessed, wide-eyed.
To her surprise, Fu Yang’s expression darkened further. Without a word, he turned and headed upstairs, leaving Fu Qianqian utterly baffled.
Soon after, Lin Sisi arrived at the Fu residence with hangover soup, having heard that Fu Yang had returned drunk.
After learning about Si Nian’s marriage, the Fu couple had grown anxious. Now, hoping to mend things between the two, they urged Lin Sisi to go upstairs and take care of him.
This was Lin Sisi’s first time entering Fu Yang’s room, and her heart pounded wildly.
The man lying on the bed was the one she’d fallen for at first sight in her past life—the one she’d become obsessed with, even divorcing Zhou Yueshen and framing Si Nian just to have him.
He was strikingly handsome. Though he lacked Zhou Yueshen’s mature steadiness, his cold, aloof features, piercing midnight eyes, and the unmistakable aura of aristocracy made him utterly captivating.
Born into privilege, exceptionally capable, and destined to become a young major—his future was beyond anything someone like Zhou Yueshen could ever hope to match.
Lin Sisi had known wealth before.
After all, Zhou Yueshen had never been stingy with her.
But material satisfaction could never compare to spiritual fulfillment.
No matter how rich she was, people would always call her a country bumpkin—someone from a pig-farming family.
With Fu Yang, everything would be different.
She wanted both power and money.
Steeling herself, Lin Sisi stepped into the man’s room.
The space was shrouded in darkness, the silhouette of a tall figure sprawled across the bed.
A strong smell of alcohol filled the entire room.
At this moment, a bold idea sprouted in Lin Sisi's heart!
Si Nian rode her bicycle with Yaoyao to the market to buy groceries. The vegetables at home were running low, and today happened to be market day. Though she arrived quite late, having a bicycle made the trip much more convenient and faster than for others.
There was no shortage of meat at home, but fresh greens were scarce.
She couldn’t keep plucking them from other people’s fields, so Si Nian decided to clear a patch in the yard to plant some bok choy.
That’s why she also bought some vegetable seeds.
By the time they returned home, it was already quite late. Si Nian thought the two older children should be back by now and planned to have them help dig up the soil that evening.
But before she even stepped inside, she heard crying from the house—the unmistakable sobs of the younger child, mixed with shouting.
