Zhou Yueshen hadn’t forgotten the sparkle in her eyes the last time he gave her six hundred yuan.
Si Nian snapped her dropped jaw back into place and reached out to take it.
Honestly, she was genuinely curious about how much savings this man had.
She took it, opened it, and glanced inside.
Tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands...
Si Nian was stunned!
"All of this... I can spend it?"
Over a hundred thousand yuan—in this era, that was the mark of someone truly wealthy!
This man... If you said he wasn’t smart, he had given her the choice and time right from the start.
If you said he was smart, he’d just handed over a savings account with over a hundred thousand to her.
No matter the era, keeping wealth discreet was basic common sense.
For a moment, Si Nian was overwhelmed by how much importance he placed on her.
Before, when he gave her two hundred a month, she already thought it was a lot.
Now, he’d casually handed over over a hundred thousand and told her to spend it freely... Si Nian finally experienced the surreal feeling of having more money than she could possibly spend.
"You can." Zhou Yueshen gave a slight nod.
What he gave her was his complete trust.
She had chosen to become his other half, one of the guardians of his children.
Giving her this was only right.
Of course, Zhou Yueshen wasn’t actually a fool.
At the very least, no one else would receive this kind of treatment from him.
He wanted to give things with Si Nian a try, starting now...
"Aren’t you afraid I’ll run off with the money?" Over a hundred thousand yuan—even someone like her, who once had three hundred thousand in savings, would find it hard not to be tempted!
No wonder women had such mixed feelings toward Zhou Yueshen.
Zhou Yueshen paused, his voice gentle. "Then that would be my fault for trusting the wrong person. A lesson learned."
Money could always be earned again, but losing a woman... that was permanent.
Besides, apart from this card, Zhou Yueshen had separate business accounts for his farm.
Even if Si Nian took the money, it wouldn’t affect the farm at all.
For a moment, Si Nian almost thought he was a hopeless romantic.
But in this era of strong masculine pride, it was rare to find a man who willingly handed over his earnings like this.
For the first time, Si Nian felt the weight of being valued and trusted.
She closed the passbook and said solemnly, "Zhou Yueshen, don’t worry. I’m not that kind of person."
"I believe you." His words were simple, yet sincerity like this was the most touching of all.
Clutching the passbook with over a hundred thousand inside, Si Nian’s nerves were on edge. She couldn’t decide whether to stash it in the cabinet or under the bed.
This thing couldn’t fall into the wrong hands—the amount was enough to make anyone greedy.
If someone with ill intentions found out and got ideas, it would be trouble.
For a moment, the passbook felt unbearably hot in her hands.
Finally, she found her small jewelry box and locked the passbook inside.
Only then did she feel at ease enough to go downstairs and cook.
The Zhou household was peaceful, even harmonious—the incident with Li Mingjun had somehow brought the two of them closer.
But outside, chaos reigned.
Everyone believed Si Nian and Li Mingjun had been involved in an affair, and that Zhou Yueshen had found out, leading to the fight.
Li Mingjun’s admirers were heartbroken for him.
Who’s to say Si Nian hadn’t seduced him? Why was Li Mingjun the only one who got beaten?
And Zhou Yueshen, always so calm and composed, had actually lost his temper over Si Nian.
People speculated that after such a scandal, Zhou Yueshen would surely cast Si Nian aside—maybe even kick her out.
After all, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. If Si Nian had been innocent, would Li Mingjun and Zhou Yueshen have fought at all?
They all waited gleefully for Si Nian to be thrown out.
But instead of seeing Si Nian leave, they were met with news that the two were about to register their marriage...
The gossip had spread so far that even the neighboring village caught wind of it.
Lin’s mother, worried about Si Nian, arrived at Happiness Village early in the morning with a basket in hand.
She had been to Zhou Yueshen’s house before—back when they discussed the wedding arrangements.
At the time, the sight of the large house had left her utterly shocked, and seeing it again gave her the same surreal feeling.
But she didn’t have time to dwell on it now. She hurried to the door and knocked.
The moment she did, she saw her daughter feeding a massive dog—one that stood taller than her—with a bone.
Lin’s mother nearly lost her balance.
The last time she visited, she had been terrified of this dog. Yet here was her daughter, fearless.
She quickly called out, "Nian Nian!"
Hearing her name, Si Nian turned.
Seeing her mother, she stood up, tossed the bone to the dog, and walked over to open the iron gate.
"Mom, what brings you here?"
Lin’s mother rushed into the yard, grabbing Si Nian’s hands to inspect her. Only after confirming her daughter was unharmed did she relax.
"I heard Xiao Zhou got into a fight with someone from his factory—over you. I was worried, so I came to check. Are you alright?"
On her way here, she had overheard people gossiping about it.
Some of the words were downright cruel toward her daughter.
Lin’s mother had been furious, but more than that, she feared how Si Nian would take such talk.
Feeling her mother’s deep concern, Si Nian’s heart warmed. "I’m fine."
"Good, good. Nian Nian, don’t pay any mind to those rumors. I know what kind of person you are." Lin’s mother patted her daughter’s hand.
Her daughter was clearly a kind soul.
Si Nian knew that after yesterday’s incident, unpleasant rumors would spread through the village.
But if even her parents from the neighboring village had heard overnight, it must have been worse than she thought.
She nodded. "I know."
"The house doesn’t have much, but I brought some rice and eggs for you to nourish the children."
Lin’s mother quickly handed her the basket she’d been carrying.
Si Nian felt a pang of guilt. "You shouldn’t have."
This woman was truly sincere—even though they had only recently reunited as mother and daughter, her care was genuine.
The incident had happened just yesterday, and here she was, arriving first thing in the morning with gifts.
Lin’s mother pushed it toward her. "Nonsense, take it. Now, tell me everything that happened."
Si Nian nodded and explained the whole story.
By the end, Lin’s mother was indignant. "What a despicable man!"
Thinking of the vile rumors circulating about her daughter, she was both heartbroken and anxious. "And what did Zhou Yueshen say...?"
Her daughter was already living with Zhou Yueshen. If this incident drove a wedge between them, what would become of her future?
Lin’s mother knew none of this was her daughter’s fault, but men in this day and age were often self-centered. Once such rumors spread, they’d assume the woman was tainted.
That was her greatest fear.
Si Nian smiled faintly. "Mom, Zhou Yueshen didn’t doubt me at all. He even said we’d go register our marriage in a few days."
There was a hint of shyness and happiness in her voice that even she hadn’t noticed.
Lin’s mother gasped. "Really?"
Si Nian nodded. "But before that, we need to transfer the household registration back. It’s good timing that you’re here—I was just about to find a chance to inform you about this."
Lin's mother agreed, "You’re right. Transferring it will make things easier. I’ll go home and discuss it with your father. When we have time, we’ll go to the city together to get it done."
With the wedding approaching, this matter couldn’t be delayed.
Si Nian nodded again.
Then, as if remembering something, she added, "By the way, I heard from Zhou Yueshen that my older brother is working as a driver for someone in the county town?"
Lin's mother looked surprised. "How does Zhou Yueshen know about that? I heard from your brother that his boss values him because he’s young and is teaching him how to drive."
Si Nian nodded. "You’re aware of the situation between Zhou Yueshen and Li Mingjun. My brother works hard outside, and Zhou Yueshen has offered to let him help with deliveries at the farm. What do you think, Mom?"
Lin's mother was both flattered and astonished. "Really? But your brother is just a greenhorn—can he really be of any help?"
She had heard before that working at Zhou Yueshen’s farm was quite lucrative, and many people tried to get in through connections but failed.
She never expected that her future son-in-law would start helping her daughter’s family even before the wedding.
How could she not be moved?
"If Zhou Yueshen brought it up, he must have a way to guide him. I think it’s a great opportunity, but you should discuss it with my brother first before making a decision."
Lin's mother quickly nodded, her worried expression replaced by a beaming smile as she left.
A few days later, the Lin family, along with Si Nian and Zhou Yueshen, went to town to discuss the household registration transfer.
However, when they arrived at the military compound, only Si Nian was allowed inside.
The Fu Family lived quite close to the Si Family, so their return paths overlapped.
When Fu Yang saw Si Nian, he thought he was mistaken.
Then, noticing her heading in the direction of the Si Family, he narrowed his eyes. The gloom he had felt since seeing her at the mall entrance earlier instantly lifted. "Uncle Liu, you see? She’s back again. Still can’t let go, can she?"
Uncle Liu: "?"
