Qin Nian finished bathing the two children and returned to the room, where she saw Shen Xianjun sewing the waistband of a pair of pants with a needle and thread.
"You know how to sew?!"
Qin Nian was shocked because the stitches looked even neater than her own. She decided not to offer to take over the task, lest she embarrass herself.
"My mom was always too busy to pay attention to me. Whenever my clothes got torn, I’d patch them up myself. After doing it enough times, I got the hang of it."
Shen Xianjun deftly guided the needle through the fabric. Seeing such a burly man doing delicate needlework made Qin Nian want to laugh, but she pinched her palm to hold it in.
"Hah, why don’t you mention how you’d wear new clothes and immediately go play by the reservoir, sliding down the slope and tearing huge holes in your pants and shirt?"
Yang Yufen happened to walk in, intending to discuss their upcoming trip back to their hometown to sweep the ancestors' graves, when she overheard.
"Didn’t Mom beat you for that?"
Qin Nian blurted out, giving Shen Xianjun a strange look.
Shen Xianjun’s face flushed with embarrassment as he recalled the incident.
Of course, he’d gotten a beating—he’d been spanked all the way home bare-bottomed and hadn’t dared to go outside for a long time afterward.
Shen Xianjun shot a pleading look at his mother, hoping she’d spare him some dignity.
Yang Yufen snorted.
"Back then, his grandmother had just passed, and I was busy earning work points. Nian, I’d like to take you, the kids, and Xianjun back to our hometown to pay respects to his grandparents and his father. Do you think you can make time?"
Yang Yufen looked at Qin Nian warmly.
"Mom, I’ll have to check with my supervisor first. I can’t confirm yet. If we do go, how long would the trip take?"
"Aunt Guixiang called me earlier—the roads back home have been paved now, so it won’t be as troublesome as before. We won’t stay long; the round trip should take about seven days. We don’t have many relatives left there anyway."
"Mom, aren’t you going to ask if I have time?"
Shen Xianjun interjected.
"You? How could you not have time? After all those years in the army, how often did you even come home? I’ll personally go talk to your political officer if I have to—I refuse to believe they won’t grant you leave."
Yang Yufen retorted impatiently.
Shen Xianjun stiffened. Back when he first enlisted, he’d avoided returning home simply to escape his mother’s control. Later, he just found the trips too much of a hassle.
Wait—had he forgotten something important?
"Mommy, tell us a story!"
Dabao came toddling in, clutching a pillow, with Erbao trailing behind.
"Mom, I understand. Once Xianjun goes for his follow-up checkup in a week and the doctor clears him for travel, I’ll request leave from my supervisor."
"Good, good. Go ahead and put the kids to bed."
Yang Yufen had no more patience for Shen Xianjun.
Early the next morning—
"Nian’s brother, have you eaten yet?"
Yang Yufen had just tossed the family’s laundry into the washing machine when she spotted Hu Jun at the door, carrying a stack of items.
"Yes, I have. I’m here to deliver some books for Xianjun. No need to trouble yourself, Auntie—I’ll head straight to the base after this."
"Alright, he’s inside."
Yang Yufen eyed the thick pile of books and quietly stepped aside. Thank goodness her daughter-in-law’s mother hadn’t expected her to study at this age.
Back when the commune ran night classes, she’d only been quick with numbers—reading and writing? Best not to bring that up.
"Brother."
Qin Nian was about to take the kids to school.
"Don’t mind me. Xianjun, since you’re recuperating, these books were carefully selected by Dad yesterday. Study hard. Nian, I’ll be off now."
Hu Jun placed the stack in front of Shen Xianjun, emphasized his point, and left after a quick farewell.
Qin Nian glanced at the books, remembering her mother-in-law’s words.
"Um… If you have trouble understanding anything, I can explain after work. I’ll take the kids to school now."
She hurried out with the children, ignoring Shen Xianjun’s stunned expression. If she lingered, he might beg her to return the books.
After Hu Jun’s visit, Yang Yufen tossed the laundry into the machine, then spent two or three hours tending to the vegetable garden and feeding the chickens in the backyard before heading straight to the kitchen.
There were leftovers from last night—just boiling some noodles would suffice.
"Lunch is ready."
At her call, Shen Xianjun emerged from the room looking utterly defeated.
"We’re eating something this plain for lunch?"
He eyed his bowl of noodles, then Yang Yufen’s.
"It’s fine wheat noodles with vegetables and eggs—what, were you expecting dragon meat? Since when did the army start tolerating picky eaters? Eat it or don’t."
Yang Yufen drizzled chili oil into her own bowl—her daughter-in-law couldn’t handle spice, so she made it just for herself.
"Mom, can I have some too?"
Shen Xianjun stared longingly at the chili oil.
"The doctor said no spicy food. Why are you so greedy?"
Yang Yufen put the chili oil away and dug into her noodles.
Shen Xianjun suddenly realized this was worse than the hospital. There, at least everyone ate bland food. Now, he had to watch without tasting. The stark contrast was torture—he’d gladly eat leftovers!
Yang Yufen finished her meal and cleared the dishes. Shen Xianjun wasn’t actually picky—he just craved something flavorful. Besides, wasting food was wrong.
"Study hard. Don’t let your father-in-law and brother-in-law down. I won’t disturb you—I’m going to chat with Aunt Wang."
With that, Yang Yufen left and didn’t return until dinnertime. This routine continued until the day of Shen Xianjun’s follow-up.
"Be careful on the road."
Yang Yufen watched as Qin Nian accompanied Shen Xianjun to his checkup. Qin Nian hadn’t originally taken time off, but Dean Hu had insisted.
"Nian, you and Xianjun are married with children. You shouldn’t be so distant. Even with your mother-in-law mediating, you two need to work on your relationship. Tomorrow, go with him to his appointment."
Knowing he was right, Qin Nian didn’t argue and obediently agreed.
"You’re healing well. If you plan to travel, wait another two weeks and come back for another checkup first. Avoid any strain or impact to the area."
After a thorough examination, the doctor nodded in approval.
"Doctor, do I still need to watch my diet?"
Shen Xianjun couldn’t resist asking.
"Yes, unless you don’t want to return to duty."
The doctor reiterated the precautions before sending them on their way.
"Hey, honey, can we talk about something?"
Over the past weeks, Shen Xianjun had finally noticed—when his wife spoke, his mother’s attitude was completely different from how she treated him. It was like he was the adopted one, and Qin Nian was her real child.
Then again, his mother had always said she wanted a daughter—she’d never hidden her preference for girls over boys.
"What is it?"
Qin Nian looked puzzled.
"Could you tell Mom to stop making noodles for lunch every day? I’m sick of them."
"Why don’t you tell her? She’s very reasonable."
Qin Nian found this odd.
Shen Xianjun’s resentment surged.
"That’s how she is with you. Never mind. Just ask her for me, and don’t say it was my idea."
"But I don’t eat lunch at home."
Qin Nian’s reply stunned him.
"Oh. Right. Then she’d know it came from me."
