Yang Yufen hadn’t expected so much to happen in just the few days she’d been away.
At that moment, Shen Xianjun and Hu Zhenghao happened to arrive at the door.
"Grandma Yang."
"Zhenghao’s here! Come on, wash your hands and get ready for dinner."
"Okay!"
Hu Zhenghao set down his schoolbag and went to wash his hands.
"Wang Xing’s little brother might not be back for another half month. His parents took two weeks off."
Hu Zhenghao shared the news he’d heard.
"Half a month? That’s so long!"
Li Wu sighed.
Qin Nian returned, and the family ate dinner together.
"You two take the kids for a walk. I’m going to visit Aunt Guixiang."
Yang Yufen placed the things Changshun had given her into a basket.
"Be careful, Mom."
Qin Nian quickly responded.
"Grandma, can I go with you?"
Li Wu didn’t want to let go of his grandmother, who had just returned.
"Be good, dear. Grandma will be back soon. Finish your homework first."
Yang Yufen gently refused. The children didn’t get enough time with their parents as it was, and soon the couple would be busy again—it wasn’t good for family harmony.
"Alright… but come back early, Grandma."
Li Wu reluctantly let go.
Yang Yufen left with the basket. Qin Nian checked on the kids’ homework while Shen Xianjun cleared the dishes.
The noodle shop was still open when Yang Yufen arrived. Gui Xiang quickly called her niece over to take her place.
"Changshun asked me to bring these for you. The kids are waiting at home, so I’ll come back another time to chat."
Yang Yufen handed over the items. Gui Xiang nodded, took them inside to set aside, and went back to work. It wasn’t until late that night, after closing up, cleaning, and preparing for the next day, that Gui Xiang finally opened the package.
Inside were two sets of clothes—clearly made for her and her husband by their eldest daughter-in-law.
Back when they’d chosen their eldest son’s wife, they’d picked her for her capability and her close-knit family, knowing they could rely on them in times of need.
Gui Xiang was about to put the clothes away—her old ones were fine for the daily grind, and she’d save the new ones for later—when she suddenly felt something in the pocket.
She pulled out a letter and a neatly folded bundle of money and ration tickets.
Gui Xiang knew enough characters to read the letter. By the time she finished, tears were streaming down her face. She wiped them away, tucked the money safely aside, and felt her sadness ease.
Money—it all came down to money. Poverty was the root of it all.
Gui Xiang took a deep breath, her heart lighter now that she understood her child’s struggles.
Yang Yufen returned home just as the kids finished their homework.
"Grandma, you’re back so soon! Can you make us cold noodles tomorrow? Please? Please?"
Li Wu excitedly let go of Shen Xianjun’s hand and rushed into Yang Yufen’s arms.
"Of course, of course! Cold noodles tomorrow. What about you, Li Wen? What would you like Grandma to make?"
"I love everything Grandma cooks."
Li Wen leaned against Yang Yufen.
"Grandma, I learned some new sentences. Can I recite them for you?"
Li Wen blinked up at her eagerly.
"Of course! Grandma loves listening to you recite."
Yang Yufen smiled, leading the children under the big banyan tree, where she listened to their recitations and watched them play.
"Mom told us to spend time with the kids, but they’re not even clinging to us—they’re all over their grandma."
Shen Xianjun sounded a little jealous.
"They were raised by Mom. We haven’t done much for them ourselves, so of course they’re closer to her. If anything, we should be grateful Mom’s taken such good care of them."
Qin Nian adored the scene before her, though her mind wandered to the washing machine at home. They’d need to buy more things—once they got the house, they’d see how much money was left.
Lost in thought, she didn’t notice Shen Xianjun saying something beside her.
When he got no response, Shen Xianjun quietly fell silent.
"I have to go back to the institute tomorrow. The day after, come with me somewhere."
Qin Nian spoke abruptly, and Shen Xianjun nodded.
"Sure."
The next morning, Yang Yufen prepared the cold noodles early.
"Mom, I can handle this if you want."
Shen Xianjun offered to help, but Yang Yufen shooed him away.
"Go on, pick some tomatoes and cucumbers for the kids. And take out those yellow apricots—they won’t keep much longer. The kids can have them on the way."
Yang Yufen busied herself in the kitchen, frying eggs and preparing the noodles. The broth was served hot—eating something too cold first thing in the morning wasn’t good.
"Wow! Grandma, it smells amazing! I’ll go brush my teeth right now!"
Li Wu dashed into the kitchen, hugged Yang Yufen, then raced off to wash up.
Li Wen, already freshened up, stood obediently beside Yang Yufen, waiting for her to serve the noodles before happily settling at the table to eat.
Shen Xianjun helped himself, slurping down a whole bowl so enthusiastically that the kids unconsciously sped up their own eating.
Qin Nian had adjusted well over the past few days, no longer eating as cautiously as when she’d first returned. Still, Yang Yufen habitually piled her bowl high, leaving Qin Nian stuffed.
"Mom’s cooking is just too good. I’ve only been back a short while, and I’ve already gained weight."
Qin Nian touched her cheek.
"Maybe a little, but it suits you."
Shen Xianjun glanced over and replied without thinking. Qin Nian’s hand paused for a second before she silently quickened her steps.
"Dean Hu, I need a few trustworthy people. I’ve compiled some materials—things we urgently need. I used my own shorthand method to keep the notes concise and efficient."
"Understood. What field is this related to? I’ll assign the right people."
After Qin Nian explained her requirements, Dean Hu quickly gathered a team and even provided a dedicated office.
No one who made it into the research institute was a fool. Qin Nian spread out her handwritten notes, sketching symbols on the blackboard as she spoke. A makeshift classroom took shape.
Questions were raised, answers given, and discussions flowed—the day passed in a flash. Even lunch was a quick affair in the office.
Shen Xianjun didn’t understand much, but he listened attentively anyway.
His gaze lingered on Qin Nian, absorbed in her work, the fading sunlight casting a glow across her face.
A knock at the door snapped him back to attention.
"Dean Hu, what brings you here?"
"Just checking on your progress. How’s it going?"
Dean Hu looked at Qin Nian.
"Everyone’s brilliant—they grasp things instantly."
Qin Nian smiled warmly.
"Comrade Qin is the impressive one. She explains every question in detail and has given us so many new ideas, clearing up a lot of confusion."
The researchers couldn’t praise her enough—today had been incredibly enlightening.
