"Auntie, don’t worry, we won’t let rumors harm our good comrade. Little Qin should also take care of her health. How about we help transfer your household registration here? Let’s put it under Qin Nian’s name, what do you think?"
"It’s really too much trouble. Actually, even without the household registration, I can still stay here to take care of Niannian."
Yang Yufen turned to look at Battalion Commander Wu, who had spoken.
"Having the household registration transferred will make things much more convenient. You don’t need to worry about this, Auntie Yang. What does Little Qin think?"
After all, Qin Nian’s household registration was under her own name. She currently lived in the research institute’s family quarters, but her parents had also left her a house in Beijing. However, it was too far from the institute and inconvenient.
"Of course, that’s fine. Mom, from now on, you’ll be under my household registration."
Qin Nian thought this was a good idea and agreed immediately.
The matter was settled just like that. With all the necessary documents in order, Political Commissar Zhao went back to issue a certificate. Dean Hu, who was also Qin Nian’s mentor, made the process even easier. Within two days, Yang Yufen’s household registration was transferred from the village to the capital.
Originally, it had only been a case of a missing person, but now that news of Shen Xianjun’s sacrifice had spread, people in the family quarters began to pity Qin Nian.
Of course, there were also those who took pleasure in her misfortune.
"Yi, let me tell you, Qin Nian’s husband died, you know? The compensation money has already been delivered to her home. She got married only to ‘curse’ her husband to death. That mother-in-law of hers might seem nice to her face, but she’s probably just putting up with it for the sake of the baby in her belly. Once the child is born, who knows what will happen?"
Yi Mengling had already been transferred out of the research institute, but as she was still a talented individual, she was reassigned to another position elsewhere.
"Don’t say such things, sister. I just said a few words before and got transferred out of the institute. Now I’ll probably be stuck in this position for the rest of my life."
"Haha, I’m just speaking up for you. I wouldn’t say this in front of others, and it’s just the two of us here—how could these words possibly spread elsewhere, right?"
Qin Nian was careful around her mother-in-law, afraid of upsetting her.
Was Yang Yufen sad? Of course, a little. She had raised her son herself and knew his character well. She could also guess some of the underlying circumstances, but what could she do?
If that foolish boy hadn’t been so terrible with words, she wouldn’t have misunderstood her daughter-in-law, and the two grandchildren wouldn’t have been lost. Three lives—what should have been a happy family had fallen apart.
Still, she couldn’t help but worry, though it only lasted a couple of days.
Professor Wen arrived with a pile of books, all of which were incomprehensible to Yang Yufen—just looking at them made her dizzy.
"There are so many! How long will it take to read all of these?"
Yang Yufen was stunned.
Professor Wen glanced at the books he had brought. Indeed, there were many, but each one was extremely rare. It had taken considerable effort and connections just to borrow them.
"Mom, I love reading. Don’t worry about me."
"Reading is good for the baby. Western countries advocate prenatal education—what the mother is exposed to while pregnant can influence the child in the womb."
Professor Wen came up with a more palatable explanation.
"Is that so? Then, Niannian, don’t overwork yourself. You’re so smart—the baby will definitely take after you. If they turn out slow, it’ll be their father’s fault. That boy always slacked off when he was studying."
Yang Yufen wasn’t trying to stop Qin Nian from reading; she just found the books overwhelming. She absolutely refused to admit that her son might have taken after her.
Reading was mentally taxing, and they said you should eat what nourishes the brain. So Yang Yufen took out the frozen fish head she had saved and made soup for Qin Nian.
The New Year arrived, bringing laughter and joy. The streets and alleys were bustling with excitement.
It was the first New Year after the land redistribution policy, and life had clearly improved for many. In the past, people on the streets wore dull, grayish clothes, but this year, bright colors were everywhere. Cantopop songs echoed from every corner.
Qin Nian’s belly had also begun to swell, growing noticeably as if inflated overnight.
"Today is the first day of the New Year. Put the books aside and go out for a walk."
After eating dumplings together in the morning, Yang Yufen was the first to speak up.
"Alright."
Qin Nian had indeed been engrossed in her books lately. Her mother-in-law had taken care of all the household chores, and even her mentor’s wife remarked on how much she had changed.
Gloves, a scarf, earmuffs, a thick hat—Yang Yufen had prepared everything for Qin Nian, handing them to her one by one.
"Mom, let’s go take a look at the old house."
Qin Nian suddenly remembered that she hadn’t told her mother-in-law about her family’s old house.
Yang Yufen had only wanted to take Qin Nian out for a stroll—whether to the park or the department store, she hadn’t planned a specific destination.
"Alright."
The two places were far apart, one in the east and the other in the west. Qin Nian had suggested taking the bus, but Yang Yufen insisted on riding a tricycle, afraid that the crowded bus might jostle Qin Nian.
The distance was nearly forty li, and the ride took over two hours.
"This courtyard was passed down from my grandparents to my parents. The state confiscated it before, but it was returned to me two years ago. I thought about renting it out, but with how busy work at the institute is, and because I was afraid it might get damaged again, I left it empty."
Qin Nian took out the key and unlocked the gate.
It was a two-courtyard house. Beyond the main gate, three small rooms stood to the left. Past the second gate lay the main courtyard.
The yard was somewhat dilapidated, but spacious. There were two rooms each in the east and west wings, three main rooms in the central hall, and two side rooms on either side—nine rooms in total.
"There used to be a row of back rooms, but they were taken away. Only the front part remains now."
When the courtyard was returned to her, Qin Nian had felt a pang of regret knowing the back rooms couldn’t be recovered. But she also knew this was already a fortunate outcome. At least a wall had been built to separate the back, making the division clear.
"Later, I’ll come and clean this up for you. I noticed it’s not far from the university—we can rent it out to students. They’re well-mannered."
"Alright, Mom can decide."
Qin Nian didn’t mind much. A house left empty would only deteriorate over time.
"Let me tidy up a bit today. Don’t wander too far."
Yang Yufen couldn’t stand disorder. The courtyard wasn’t in terrible shape, so she started by clearing the fallen leaves and dead branches from the yard.
Qin Nian nodded. Since the house had been returned, she hadn’t really taken the time to inspect it properly. Today was a good opportunity to reminisce.
She opened every room, one by one. The interiors were bare—nothing remained except the pillars and beams.
If there were any remnants of the past, it would be the flowerpots in the courtyard, now overgrown with weeds—one of the few traces left behind.
"There used to be a swing here. I loved swinging on it when I was little. Unfortunately, it was destroyed later."
Standing in the courtyard, Qin Nian sighed. The days of her childhood were long gone.
After three hours of cleaning, Qin Nian handed the keys to Yang Yufen. Then she took her mother-in-law to a local eatery she loved. After the meal, Yang Yufen pedaled the tricycle all the way back home with Qin Nian.
