A few days later, Zhou Zehan woke up one morning to find that he had lost a tooth.
He had entered the age of speaking with a lisp.
Si Nian’s own language skills were professional, so teaching the children wasn’t particularly difficult for her.
In her spare time, she also began studying.
The original owner of this body had undoubtedly been the most outstanding student in the military compound. It wasn’t obvious when she wasn’t studying, but once she started, she realized just how astonishing her memory was.
Though Si Nian herself had been among the top students in the future, having already completed university-level education, the knowledge of this era was quite different from what she had learned. The disparities were significant, which was why she was studying so diligently—preparing for the college entrance exams the following year.
Unexpectedly, the original owner’s memory was so sharp that just skimming through the material triggered a flood of recollections. The knowledge stored in her mind poured in effortlessly, as if she didn’t even need to study.
It was practically like having a cheat code.
The two children also had shockingly fast learning abilities, especially Zhou Zedong. Si Nian noticed that this child, just like her, had a photographic memory. Anything she taught him once, he remembered clearly.
The younger one, Zhou Zehan, was a bit more careless, but when he focused, his performance wasn’t bad either.
At this rate, by the time they reached middle school, there’d be no need to worry about them falling behind, even if they transferred to a city school.
Si Nian sighed. Truly, in novels, those destined to become villains were never ordinary people.
Growing bored of reading, she grabbed a bamboo basket and stepped outside.
The osmanthus flowers at the village entrance had bloomed, their fragrance overwhelming.
The Zhou residence was close by, and the sweet scent kept drifting into Si Nian’s nose.
Personally, she wasn’t particularly fond of overly fragrant foods.
But remembering her promise to the children to make them more pastries, she decided to gather some osmanthus before the flowers all fell.
Basket in hand, she walked out the door. Zhou Zedong was watering the vegetable garden, while Zhou Zehan was pulling weeds.
Ever since this patch of land had been planted, not a single weed or insect survived more than a day.
The two boys kept a close watch. The moment a stray weed sprouted, they’d pluck it out before heading to class.
In just over a week, the once-barren yard had transformed into a lush little garden, the green vegetable leaves glistening with water droplets—so fresh they looked delicious.
A few rabbits kept trying desperately to sneak in. The once-small white rabbits had now grown quite large, plump and round.
But the boys couldn’t bear to let them ruin the garden, so they made sure to feed them grass at scheduled times.
On their way home from school, they often gathered armfuls of wild grass that the rabbits loved.
As for Da Huang, the dog couldn’t care less, making it clear he was only interested in meat.
Yaoyao had been picking up more and more words lately. Perhaps because Da Huang had been barking frequently these days, she’d added a new word to her vocabulary: “Woof~”
Now she spent her days barking at Da Huang.
Si Nian called out a quick greeting, letting the children play on their own, and headed out with her basket.
There was only one osmanthus tree at the village entrance—small, but blooming beautifully.
She didn’t pick much, since all she needed was the fragrance.
On her way back, basket in hand, she spotted Yu Dong standing at the gate, straddling a bicycle.
In his hand was a large slab of pork ribs.
The moment he saw Si Nian return, he called out loudly, “Sis-in-law, you’re back! Boss Zhou Yueshen asked me to bring you some ribs.”
Si Nian quickly stepped forward, "Sorry for the trouble. Come in and have some sweet soup."
Yu Dong hastily shook his head. "No need, sister-in-law. I’ve got other things to do. In the future, just let me know what you’d like to eat, and I’ll deliver it for you."
Si Nian glanced at the pork ribs and thought for a moment. "Alright, next time, tell your boss not to send ribs. Bring some pork kidneys, intestines, or trotters instead."
Compared to ribs, Si Nian preferred braised meats.
Especially pig trotters and intestines—their braised flavors were absolutely divine.
Pork kidneys, too, grew more fragrant the more you chewed them.
She had a bit of a preference for strong flavors.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Yu Dong fell silent.
Si Nian was puzzled. "What’s wrong?"
Yu Dong looked around cautiously, making sure no one was watching, then whispered, "Sister-in-law, I get it."
Si Nian: "?"
Get what?
"Don’t worry, I won’t tell the boss."
Si Nian: "..."
With that, Yu Dong scurried off, leaving Si Nian utterly confused.
Was eating these things really that strange?
She scratched her cheek and was about to head inside when Aunt Zhang suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Seeing that Yu Dong had left, she hurried over, pulling Si Nian aside and lowering her voice. "Nian Nian, be honest with me—is Zhou Yueshen... incapable?"
Si Nian: "?"
"Aunt Zhang, what are you talking about?"
Though she had initially thought the same, why did Aunt Zhang and the others seem to share this assumption?
Aunt Zhang pressed on, "No need to hide it. I’ve been seeing tonics like goji berries and yam at your doorstep lately. And now you’re asking Xiao Yu to deliver those specific ingredients. If they’re not for Zhou Yueshen’s health, then who else could they be for?"
It all made sense now. A perfectly healthy man wouldn’t just refuse to have children for no reason.
The truth was, he simply couldn’t.
Aunt Zhang looked at Si Nian with pity.
Even though Si Nian had agreed to Zhou Yueshen’s conditions, as someone from the older generation, Aunt Zhang believed a woman’s life wasn’t complete without children.
She had initially thought Zhou Yueshen was putting off having kids because of the three children he already had.
But now it was clear—it wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but that he couldn’t.
Aunt Zhang sighed again.
Si Nian awkwardly rubbed her nose. Though she had once misunderstood the situation herself, such matters were best kept private. If word got out, how would Zhou Yueshen ever face people again?
She tried her best to explain, "Aunt Zhang, it’s not like that. Actually, those ingredients are for me."
"Who are you trying to fool? You look perfectly healthy, clearly fit for childbearing. Do you think I don’t know better?"
Aunt Zhang recalled how Zhou Yueshen’s previous wife had spent a year with him without any signs of pregnancy. Since they were married, they must have been intimate.
If the first wife hadn’t conceived, the problem had to lie with him.
Si Nian was just being kind, protecting his dignity even now by covering for him.
"But don’t worry. I know a good traditional doctor. I’ll introduce you to him later—he can help with adjustments."
Si Nian sighed. Why did it feel like the more she explained, the worse it got?
"Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but a woman’s life isn’t complete without her own child. Especially in a family like Xiao Zhou’s—he’s the only son left. Do you really think he doesn’t want an heir?"
"Besides, Xiao Zhou is always out and about, and he’s generous with his men. If you don’t have a child, over time, a man’s heart starts to wander. Understand?"
"Those women out there are full of schemes. Before you came along, plenty of them were throwing themselves at him, trying every trick in the book."
Ugh, I'm so stuck! Can't figure out what to write—writer's block is killing me!
