Yang Yufen's hands itched as she read the letter.
That damned brat! Harassing me wasn’t enough—now he wants to drag his own wife into this mess? No good at all!
"Nian, don’t worry about it. Just pretend you didn’t see anything. I’ll make a call and explain everything to you later," Yang Yufen said as she took the letter away.
Qin Nian watched her mother-in-law’s retreating figure, her mind in turmoil.
Why had Yang Yufen suddenly shown up back then? And why had she stayed? Had she known all along that Shen Xianjun wasn’t dead, or was it…?
Qin Nian couldn’t make sense of it. No matter how she tried to piece it together, it was more tangled than her work.
She was certain Yang Yufen genuinely cared for her—but was that kindness meant for her, or for Shen Xianjun?
Lost in her thoughts, Qin Nian barely noticed when Yang Yufen returned until the sound of the door closing snapped her back to reality.
"Nian, someone from the military district will come to collect this soon. Don’t ever get involved in something this dangerous again," Yang Yufen said, still shaken.
"Mom… when did you find out?" Qin Nian’s voice was hoarse, her eyes fixed downward, too afraid to meet Yang Yufen’s gaze.
Yang Yufen sighed at the sight of her and took Qin Nian’s hands in hers.
"Why are they so cold?"
She had just sat down but immediately stood back up. The house was already heated, yet Yang Yufen poured hot water into a cup and pressed it into Qin Nian’s hands.
"I only guessed at first. The military district initially sent allowances, then later, the pension. I thought he was really gone—just held onto a sliver of hope. That boy may be unreliable, but he’d never betray the Party or the country. If he did, I’d beat him to death myself!"
The last words were gritted out, her frustration boiling over at the thought of her absent son.
"The first time I saw him was before National Day. You were busy, so I went with Aunt Liu to take her child to the hospital. I ran into him in the restroom, and he slipped me a wax pellet—that was right before the boiler explosion at Third Hospital."
Qin Nian listened quietly, turning the cup in her hands, letting the warmth seep into her fingers.
"The second time was the day I got knocked down. The person who hit me paid a thousand yuan in compensation—what kind of coincidence is that? So Nian, if you ever see him again, stay far away. He’s my son, and dealing with him is my burden. I won’t let him hurt you."
Yang Yufen grew angrier the more she spoke. If not for fear of upsetting her daughter-in-law, she would’ve unleashed her fury.
Then, she stood again and retrieved something.
"Look, we’ve got another small house now. I just haven’t had time to clean it up and rent it out. In a household, a woman should hold the purse strings. Men turn rotten when they have money—you’ve got to learn to keep some things hidden, even from the man beside you."
At the thought of her son, Yang Yufen scoffed.
Qin Nian stared at the property deed in her hands, then glanced up at her mother-in-law. Yang Yufen’s expression seemed off—but surely not directed at her. Otherwise, why would she hand over the deed?
"Mom, you should save the money for yourself."
"What’s mine is yours. The deed goes to you, but I’ll still collect the rent for now. If I ever lose my wits in old age, it’s better to pass it to you early."
Yang Yufen had no doubts. Her daughter-in-law’s nature was soft—she hadn’t even considered divorce during the worst of times and had treated her, a sudden intruder, with nothing but kindness. She wouldn’t turn cruel.
"Mom… maybe the house should be under Xianjun’s name. After all, he—"
"Didn’t I just tell you? Men spoil when they have money. A rough man like him doesn’t need a house—he can sleep anywhere. You’re too soft. A woman can’t afford to be weak, or men will walk all over her."
Yang Yufen clicked her tongue, exasperated. Clearly, she still had much to teach her.
Dazed, Qin Nian tucked the deed into her drawer. Even on her way to pick up the kids, her mind hadn’t fully caught up.
Yang Yufen didn’t want Qin Nian tangled in the mess, so once she sensed the timing was right, she urged her to fetch the children while she stayed behind to wait.
The military district’s envoy arrived swiftly. Yang Yufen handed over the unopened letter and then busied herself with cooking—starting with slaughtering a chicken for stew.
"Nian’s here, come in!"
Professor Wen was home.
"Mom!"
"Auntie!"
The two children rushed to Qin Nian, clamoring for hugs.
"Professor Wen, Dabao, Erbao, Zhenghao."
"Sit down. Your brother isn’t back yet, and your sister-in-law took Little Baby to the hospital."
"What’s wrong with Little Baby?"
Qin Nian had been out of the loop on recent events.
"Kids always catch little illnesses. Your sister-in-law wanted to keep him close where the doctors could check on him easily."
"Little brother coughed really bad, so Mom took him," Hu Zhenghao chimed in.
His baby brother was too small to play with—he didn’t dare touch him. But the twins? Perfect for poking. With school out, he’d begged Grandma to bring them over. They were so easy to take care of!
"Auntie, can the twins stay with me? I want to sleep with them! I can even teach them to read!"
Hu Zhenghao, who hated studying himself, had finally scraped together a semi-respectable excuse.
Professor Wen burst out laughing. She hadn’t meant to embarrass her grandson, but the absurdity was too much.
Their whole family was educated—except this boy, who fought learning tooth and nail. They’d poured endless effort into keeping him in school.
"With Mama!"
Erbao suddenly spoke up.
"Erbao! You’re ditching me already? We were gonna play General! I let you play with all my toys, and now you don’t want me?"
Hu Zhenghao’s exaggerated pout made Erbao hesitate, thinking he’d genuinely hurt his cousin’s feelings.
The adults couldn’t help but laugh at the scene.
"Like brother! Want!"
Erbao quickly backtracked. Dabao, however, remained unfazed.
"Together! Sleep together!"
Dabao cheered.
"Play with your brother for now. I need to talk to Grandma. Mom’s on break too—we’ll go out later."
Qin Nian needed to confide in someone. Professor Wen’s family was her most trusted, and with only the kids around, it was the perfect moment.
"Okay!"
The children scampered off to resume their games.
Though he hadn’t secured a definite yes, Hu Zhenghao wasn’t discouraged. He’d try again. One day, he’d convince the twins to move in. Then he could walk them to school, pick them up, and when Little Baby was old enough—three big brothers waiting for him!
Professor Wen sensed something amiss with Qin Nian and led her into the kitchen to prep dinner, shutting the door behind them.
"Professor Wen… what do you think of my mother-in-law?"
The question caught Professor Wen off guard. She paused before answering.
