Though she had her thoughts, they were only fleeting.
Si Nian didn’t believe she had reached the point of being madly in love with him.
She was a mature woman, capable of handling her own emotions.
After getting on the bicycle, she told Zhou Yueshen about the Si Family’s invitation to the wedding, as well as the matters involving Lin Sisi and Liu Dongdong.
Zhou Yueshen didn’t have any objections.
He had never regarded the Si Family or Lin Sisi as significant, so hearing about Lin Sisi’s upcoming marriage didn’t strike him as unusual.
However, the Si Family had clearly looked down on them before, yet now they were deliberately inviting them—there was likely more to it than met the eye.
So he said in a low voice, "Don’t trust your adoptive father too much. Even if he gives you money, it doesn’t necessarily mean he has your best interests at heart."
Zhou Yueshen was worried that Si’s Father giving Si Nian money might lead her to misunderstand that the Si Family still had feelings for her.
Though he hadn’t interacted much with the Si Family, the few encounters had been enough for him to sense something off about them.
They were overly concerned with appearances, selfish, and snobbish.
If they had truly cared for Si Nian, they wouldn’t have married her off to him in the first place.
Si Nian was well aware of the Si Family’s true nature. Hearing this, she chuckled, "Do you really think I’m that foolish?"
She had never felt particularly fond of or resentful toward the Si Family.
She had never intended to cling to them.
But the Si Family and Lin Sisi didn’t seem willing to let her go so easily.
So Si Nian decided that since they were always trying to make her unhappy, why should she hold back?
That was why she kept managing to squeeze money out of the prideful Si’s Father.
Si’s Father might think he had her under his thumb, but who was the real fool remained to be seen.
Zhou Yueshen looked at her expression and couldn’t help but smile.
"As long as you’re aware," he said. If that was the case, he didn’t need to worry.
Still, it was strange—someone as clever as Si Nian, how had she ended up married to him?
A flicker of doubt passed through Zhou Yueshen’s dark eyes.
...
The two of them returned home together.
Zhou Zehan was crouched by the doorway under the setting sun, washing clothes.
His small hands scrubbed at his clothes diligently, his focus unwavering.
Since their old clothes had been too dirty to clean properly, Si Nian had bought them several new outfits.
Now, the little one made sure to wash them after just two days of wear—he treasured his belongings dearly.
Even Yaoyao’s daily change of clothes was handled by the two children.
Looking at them, Si Nian suddenly felt there wasn’t much to complain about.
"Mom!" Zhou Zehan called out when he saw her return, shaking the soap bubbles off his hands before running over. "How’s Grandma? Is she better now?"
His small brows were furrowed with worry.
Si Nian reached out and ruffled his hair. "Grandma’s fine. She’ll recover in a few days."
"Did you finish your homework?"
"Yep! Let me show you."
He turned and dashed back inside, returning with his workbook in hand. He handed it to Si Nian, then clasped his hands behind his back and recited proudly, "I memorized all twenty words Mom taught me today. Listen—Hello, Hi, Howdy, Hey, Good morning..."
Si Nian checked his workbook—everything was correct.
The only issue was that his handwriting was still a bit messy, like chicken scratches.
She made a mental note to get him some calligraphy practice books. He needed to work on his penmanship!
Thinking of handwriting, she remembered that Zhou Yueshen's writing was quite elegant.
Had this older man actually received an education?
She tilted her head to glance at Zhou Yueshen and noticed him raising a brow slightly as he looked at Zhou Zehan.
He seemed pleased, so she asked, "Zhou Yueshen, do you know English?"
Zhou Yueshen paused before answering, "A little."
Si Nian was even more surprised.
This man clearly had many secrets she had yet to uncover.
No rush, though. She withdrew her gaze and turned to the little boy standing proudly, waiting for her praise.
"Zehan, you did so well! You can check your dad's work next time too."
Zhou Zehan glanced at his "illiterate" father and nodded solemnly. "Got it, Mom."
Then his eyes sparkled as he looked at her.
Si Nian immediately reached into the bicycle basket and pulled out a wrapped sugar figurine.
Though the afternoon wasn’t too warm, it had started to melt slightly.
Still, it didn’t matter. She handed it to the wide-eyed Zhou Zehan. "This is your reward. Go ahead and eat it."
Zhou Zehan eagerly took it, swallowing hard. "I know what this is—a sugar figurine! My classmate had one before. He said it’s super sweet!"
Then, his little face scrunched up in hesitation. "Mom… I don’t want to eat it. Can I keep it forever?"
"It’ll melt soon, so that won’t work," Si Nian replied.
Zhou Zehan’s face fell. "But my teeth aren’t good. Mom said eating too much sugar gives you cavities. I don’t want worms in my teeth."
His pretty little teeth had already fallen out, and the dentist had told him that avoiding sweets would help his new teeth grow in even nicer.
He’d seen the kids in his class who were losing teeth—their new ones were yellow, crooked, and full of holes.
He didn’t want that at all!
His older brother’s teeth were straight because they couldn’t afford sweets back then.
Zhou Zehan was convinced that was the secret.
So he’d started cutting out sugar.
But this was a gift from Mom. He was torn.
Si Nian shook her head. "Eating it once in a while is fine. If you’re really worried, just brush your teeth right after."
Zhou Zehan’s eyes lit up. "Yay! You’re the best, Mom! Um… can you bend down? I wanna tell you something."
Suddenly shy, he fidgeted.
Si Nian leaned down obligingly. "What is it?"
In a flash, Zhou Zehan stood on his tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on her cheek—right in front of his dad.
His face burning red, he immediately hugged the sugar figurine to his chest and dashed away like a tiny rocket.
Si Nian straightened up, smiling. What an adorably bashful little thing.
But with how fast he ran and how much he loved climbing and jumping around, she thought sports might be a good path for him.
Though he’d been studying harder lately because of her influence, it was clear his heart wasn’t in it.
Sooner or later, he’d lose motivation.
Maybe she should nurture other interests for him.
While education was the most reliable path, there were many roads to success—what mattered was finding the right fit.
Her gaze drifted to Zhou Zedong, who stood nearby holding Yaoyao, watching with longing.
Zhou Zedong was always quiet, rarely speaking.
He lingered in the background, staring at his younger brother with envy—like a stray puppy, desperate for affection but afraid of being kicked away.
She waved him over. "Zedong, bring Yaoyao here."
Zhou Zedong's eyes immediately lit up as he hugged his little sister tightly and quickly stepped forward.
"Mom."
Si Nian picked up the sugar figurines she had made for the two children: "These are for you and your sister."
Zhou Zedong's eyelashes trembled slightly.
He had thought only his younger brother would get one—
Since his brother had lost a tooth recently, he couldn’t eat sweets for a while.
That’s why Mom had bought him a sugar figurine.
But he hadn’t expected her to get one for him and his sister too.
Zhou Zedong reached out to take the figurine, though a pang of guilt tugged at his heart.
He wasn’t as naturally endearing to Mom as his younger brother was, yet she treated them all the same.
Since they had returned home late, dinner consisted of leftovers from the day before.
Even leftover dishes in the countryside were delicious—flavorful and well-seasoned.
Just a quick reheat in the fridge, and they were ready to eat.
Because it was already late and the kids had to wake up early the next morning, they kept the meal simple.
Si Nian had also bought some fruit. Eating meat every day could be too heavy, so getting enough vitamins was important.
In the mornings, she made sure the children had bananas and milk.
In the evenings, they snacked on grapes—just a taste.
No one in the village would splurge on such big, juicy grapes, so sweet they practically burst with flavor.
The two kids loved them so much they even swallowed the skins instead of spitting them out.
The sweet-and-sour taste was irresistible.
Yaoyao adored grapes the most. The little girl could polish off half a bunch in no time.
By the time Si Nian finished her shower and came back downstairs, Zhou Yueshen—who had no sense of restraint when it came to indulging their daughter—had already let her eat an entire bunch.
Seeing the little one’s belly round and full, yet still reaching for more, Si Nian hurried over to stop her. "Alright, Yaoyao, no more. If you eat too much, your tummy will hurt."
Fortunately, Yaoyao was obedient—not the type to throw a tantrum over food. She stared longingly at the grapes, then at Si Nian. When she saw her mother’s firm expression, she obediently lifted her tiny arms, asking to be held.
Si Nian ruffled her hair and picked her up, glancing sideways to see Zhou Yueshen watching them.
She chided him lightly, "Next time, keep an eye on her. Eating so much at night isn’t good—kids can easily get an upset stomach."
Zhou Yueshen looked at the few remaining grapes on the plate. He had planned to carry Yaoyao upstairs once she finished, and since she seemed to enjoy them so much, he hadn’t intervened.
Only after hearing Si Nian’s words did it dawn on him. He scratched his nose sheepishly.
"My bad."
Honestly, this man knew nothing about raising children.
It was a miracle the kids had survived under his care for so long.
Si Nian shot him a helpless look.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zehan, who had been about to sneak a grape, immediately pulled his hand back upon hearing Si Nian’s warning.
Straightening up, he declared, "Mom, I only had eight—no, five grapes tonight! I’m not greedy like Yaoyao."
Yaoyao tilted her head at him, confused.
Si Nian pinched his cheek affectionately. "Such a good boy, Zehan. It’s late—time for bed."
Zhou Zehan puffed out his chest proudly. "I still have to brush my teeth, wash my face, and soak my feet before sleeping."
Si Nian couldn’t help but laugh at his serious expression.
"Alright."
Zhou Zedong, who had just finished brushing his teeth, paused when he overheard his brother’s words. Without a sound, he turned and walked back out.
Zhou Zehan, still floating on cloud nine from his mother’s praise, stumbled out dizzily only to find his older brother washing his face.
"Hey, don’t dump the water yet! I need to wash too!"
He scrambled over.
Upstairs, Si Nian carried Yaoyao back to their room.
The faint sounds of the two boys’ chatter still drifted up from below.
Zhou Yueshen followed her upstairs and opened the door.
Inside, Si Nian was cradling a wide-awake Yaoyao, gently coaxing her to sleep.
He stepped forward and said, "Let me take her."
Si Nian didn’t hesitate to hand Yaoyao over—the little girl had some weight to her, and her slender arms and legs grew sore after holding her for just a short while.
She genuinely admired the strength of mothers who took care of children all day.
Fortunately, Yaoyao had already learned to walk and didn’t need to be carried constantly.
The two older boys also helped with childcare, and when Zhou Yueshen was home, he usually took charge.
Si Nian only had to coax the little one to sleep at night.
But today, perhaps because she had napped too much, Yaoyao remained wide awake.
No matter how her father paced around with her, she refused to drift off.
Every now and then, she pinched Zhou Yueshen’s face or wrapped her arms around his neck.
After trying for a long time with no success, Zhou Yueshen finally decided to delegate the task to Zhou Zedong and his brother.
So he carried the child out of the room.
Si Nian, who was sitting at the vanity applying skincare, immediately glanced over. "Where are you going?"
Zhou Yueshen turned to look at her. She wore a silk nightgown, her long black hair cascading down her back. Her hair was incredibly smooth and glossy, the light casting a soft halo around her.
The gentle glow softened her striking features, making her breathtakingly beautiful.
Yet her expression wasn’t exactly friendly.
Zhou Yueshen studied her for a moment before replying in a low voice, "She won’t sleep. I’m taking her to her brothers."
Si Nian met his gaze and said, "That’s because you don’t know how to soothe her. Give her to me."
Zhou Yueshen paused, then countered, "Zedong’s already asleep. Bringing her over might wake him."
Si Nian smiled. "Who said anything about taking her there? Yaoyao’s sleeping here tonight—with me."
Zhou Yueshen: "..."
Earlier in the afternoon, when she had seemed fine, he’d thought the matter was settled.
But now he realized it was only the beginning...
Before he could react, Si Nian stepped forward and took Yaoyao from him. Seeing that the little one truly wasn’t sleepy, and noticing the tall, broad-shouldered man still lingering at the door, she ignored him and said, "I’ll tell Yaoyao a story."
"How about Snow White?"
Originally, Si Nian had considered telling a story about Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, but then she remembered this era hadn’t seen that cartoon yet. If she mentioned it now and the show appeared later, Zhou Yueshen might grow suspicious.
So she settled on Snow White instead.
Her voice was clear and melodious—after all, she had been a broadcaster, so her Mandarin was flawless and pleasant to the ear.
Even Zhou Yueshen glanced at her a few extra times.
He didn’t leave either, choosing instead to sit down nearby.
The door wasn’t fully closed.
Zhou Zehan, who had just finished washing his face and brushing his teeth, came upstairs and heard Si Nian’s voice.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"
At first, he didn’t understand what was happening, but curiosity got the better of him, and he tiptoed over to listen.
Soon, he realized his mother was telling his little sister a story.
Zhou Zehan was so envious that he pressed himself against the door to hear better.
As he listened, drowsiness crept over him, and his eyelids grew heavy.
By the time Si Nian finished the story, Yaoyao had finally fallen asleep.
Zhou Yueshen stood up and pulled the door open—only to find Zhou Zehan slumped against the doorframe, fast asleep.
The little boy had tucked his hands under his cheek, his face wearing a contented expression. Zhou Yueshen’s grip on the door handle stilled.
Noticing his silence, Si Nian asked, "What’s wrong?"
Zhou Yueshen looked at his peacefully sleeping son, both amused and exasperated, and replied in a low voice, "Nothing."
He bent down, picked up the boy, closed the door behind him, and carried him back to his own room.
The night passed quietly.
Si Nian was never a still sleeper.
It was only when Zhou Yueshen held her that she wouldn’t kick off the blankets so easily.
Tonight, with Yaoyao sleeping between them, she had forgotten and instinctively rolled toward the man’s embrace.
She startled awake in an instant, only to find her face pressed against his chest.
Zhou Yueshen seemed still asleep, but as she drew near, his arm pulled her closer.
Si Nian was just wondering where Yaoyao had gone when his hand slid up.
His rough palm first caressed her cheek gently, tugging her deeper into his embrace, while his other hand wandered beneath her collar, settling over her breast.
He gave it a soft squeeze.
Si Nian: "......"
