"Wang Xing is back, but you weren’t home, so he came to see me and then left. Do you want to go check on him together?"
Hu Zhenghao pulled the twins aside to discuss this.
"Really? That’s great! Let’s go find him now!"
Li Wen exclaimed excitedly—after all, Wang Xing was his good friend!
"Mom, we’re going to see Wang Xing. We’ll be back soon!"
Li Wen ran over to Qin Nian, his joy completely unrestrained.
"Go ahead. Just come straight home later. I’ll chat with your grandma a bit longer and then head back too. Grandma is waiting for us to have dinner."
"Got it!"
The three children dashed off happily. When they arrived at Wang Xing’s house, they found him crouched by the doorstep, poking at an anthill.
"Big bro! Li Wen! Li Wu!"
Wang Xing looked up and spotted them, tossing aside the foxtail grass in his hand before rushing over. The kids hugged each other tightly.
"Wow, I missed you guys so much! How did you all get so tan?"
Wang Xing blurted out after the initial excitement wore off.
"Training under the sun. Why were you gone for so long?"
"Ugh, I wanted to come back ages ago. Let me tell you, my uncles were just awful!"
Wang Xing immediately started venting to his friends. Mr. and Mrs. Wang, who had overheard, quietly retreated back inside to continue tidying up.
"They wouldn’t bury Grandpa unless your parents paid up? How can people be so cruel?"
Hu Zhenghao’s eyes widened in disbelief. At his age, he already understood the importance of letting the deceased rest in peace.
"They even tried to frame Dad! If I hadn’t overheard and told Mom, she would’ve handed over the money. In the end, we reported it to the police."
Wang Xing’s maternal relatives had tried to manipulate his father by scheming to have their niece seduce him, then accuse him of infidelity. But Wang Xing, sharp as ever, caught wind of the plan and warned his mother. Though she had always been soft on her family, this time she finally stood her ground. The fallout was so severe that it took this long for them to return.
"Don’t worry, you don’t have to go back to your uncles’ place anymore. We can play together again! Oh, and guess what? During the break, we got to hold real guns and even ride in a tank!"
The children chattered away, their troubles quickly forgotten. In the end, Wang Xing even forgot about his own parents and followed the twins straight to their home.
Yang Yufen was delighted to see Wang Xing safe and sound. It wasn’t until the kids sat down to eat that they realized they’d completely forgotten about Wang Xing’s parents.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Wang, who had finished cooking and setting the table, stepped outside to call her son—only to find him gone. She didn’t need to guess where he’d gone.
"Sometimes, outsiders treat you better than family. It’s hard to put into words."
Mr. Wang sighed deeply and patted his wife’s shoulder. The food was ready, and they couldn’t let it go to waste. He figured their son must have missed Grandma Yang’s cooking.
Shen Xianjun ate quietly, reflecting on how, in comparison, his own mother—despite her temper—had never given him such troubles. At least his family never had to worry about these kinds of issues.
The kids ate voraciously. Wang Xing, who’d expected to be the most restrained, turned out to have suffered just as much. During his stay at his grandparents’, his cousins had ganged up on him. Though he’d dodged their bullying, they’d taunted him at mealtimes, leaving him neither well-fed nor satisfied.
After the fallout, his parents’ cooking was barely edible, and they couldn’t afford to eat out every day. Wang Xing had endured quite the culinary drought.
As he ate, tears welled up in his eyes, prompting the twins to pause their own eating and pile more food into his bowl.
They’d gotten so used to competing for food that they’d nearly forgotten their friend.
"Listen to Grandma and your other grandma while we’re gone. Keep up with the morning drills—I’ll test you when I get back."
No matter how reluctant he was, Shen Xianjun had to return to duty. He also hadn’t forgotten his promise to his mother about fixing the tricycle.
Back at the base, he filed a report and got to work during his free time.
Qin Nian also returned to the research institute. Money was easy to spend, especially on the children. It dawned on her that she should pay more attention to economic development.
Scientific research shouldn’t just be about burying oneself in work—it should also involve looking ahead, pushing boundaries, and leading the world. Their goal wasn’t just to catch up but to surpass everyone.
"The experimental results show excellent data across the board. But the detergent isn’t cutting it. If we had a more effective cleaning agent to pair with our washing machine, it would clean even better."
"Here’s the hand-washed result, and here’s the machine-washed one. If we could build a larger-capacity washer for our team’s use, we’d save so much time on chores and focus on other tasks."
The team member with a slight obsession with cleanliness spent most of his free time scrubbing things spotless. He’d used washing machines before, but none met his standards.
"The detergent’s formula isn’t complicated. We could easily try making our own."
Qin Nian’s suggestion lit up his eyes.
"You’re right! I’ll handle this—I’ve got experience."
"Go for it. Once it’s ready, we can have Fan Juan draft a contract. You’ll get a share of the profits."
Qin Nian nodded with a smile.
"We can monetize this too?"
"Why not? The washing machine was a team effort, but the detergent is your idea, your design, your work. They shouldn’t be lumped together."
"In that case, if I invent an electric rice cooker—one that cooks rice automatically with just water and electricity—would that count as mine too?"
The team’s enthusiasm soared. Their work was usually intense and rigid, but now they saw new possibilities.
"These are all fantastic ideas. We have ample funding—feel free to experiment."
"You’re the best, team leader. We’re lucky to have you."
Being selected for this group meant not just learning more but also having the freedom to explore and make mistakes.
Qin Nian, inspired by their energy, thought of Li Wen, who was curious about everything. Maybe she could bring him to the lab.
Their experiments focused on physics and computer data, not hazardous chemicals, so it was relatively safe.
She shared the idea with the team.
"Bringing kids to the lab?"
"Yes. They’re the future of our country. The earlier they’re exposed to this, the better their foundation. We can keep the core equipment in Lab 1 to prevent accidents while letting them observe our work."
Qin Nian explained warmly.
"I’m in!"
One by one, the team members agreed. They all had children but had prioritized their careers, leaving little time for family. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy family happiness?
"My kid always complains I’m too busy. Last time I saw them, they barely recognized me. They were so bright as a child, but now they’re rebellious—and I just don’t have time to guide them."
As they spoke of their children and families, none could claim to have no regrets.
