"We as parents don’t really know how to raise a child properly—it’s all thanks to our kid’s own resilience. Honestly, we feel terrible about it, but we just don’t have a choice. We’ve asked others for help before, but even after giving them food and ration coupons, they still skimped on our child’s meals.
After that, our child refused to eat at anyone else’s house and would rather get food from the canteen. But this time, not only is he willing to eat at your place, he even doesn’t want to go home in the evening—he’s having so much fun. We’d like him to have meals here with you."
Wang Xing’s father spoke in one breath.
"We’ll give you the ration coupons and food every month. He can eat whatever your family eats, and we’ll pick him up in the evenings. We’ll also pay you fifteen yuan a month—would that be alright?"
"No need for the money. Just make sure there’s enough food for him when he comes over. But if anything happens, like bumps or scrapes…"
Yang Yufen didn’t outright refuse.
"Don’t worry about that. We’ll write you a guarantee and have the director as a witness."
"Mom, Dad, can I really eat Granny Yang’s food with Dabao and Erbao?"
Wang Xing ran over excitedly—he’d been eavesdropping the whole time.
"Yes, but don’t cause any trouble."
Seeing their child so happy was rare, and Wang Xing’s parents felt a pang of guilt.
"Wow! Dabao, Erbao, I can eat with you guys from now on! Hahaha!"
Wang Xing was so thrilled he tried to lift Dabao and Erbao up, and the twins were just as delighted.
Kids don’t have the same complicated thoughts as adults—they were even reluctant to part when it was time to go home.
Having an extra child around should’ve meant more work, but Wang Xing was different.
He was never late for school, knew how to dress himself properly when it rained, and took care of himself exceptionally well. His good habits even rubbed off on the twins.
"You’ve been looking livelier lately, always smiling—I thought you’d found money or something."
Gui Xiang laughed as she washed dishes.
"Even better than finding money. Dabao and Erbao have become so much more responsible—they wash their own dishes after meals and even help wipe the table and sweep the floor."
Yang Yufen grinned while wringing out a rag.
"You’ll be living the good life from now on!"
"We’ll see about that. Is Ershun and his father almost ready to leave the hospital?"
"Yes, the doctor said they’re recovering well. My husband can even walk now. We’ll bring them home in three days. They won’t have to lie in bed all day—they can even sit outside in the yard and get some sun."
Three months had passed in the blink of an eye.
Hospital recovery was expensive, but the results were worth it. Gui Xiang had gritted her teeth and insisted on keeping both her husband and son there.
In the past, when money was tight and they only had the little land at home to rely on, she wouldn’t have dared to think of it—she’d have had to let her husband waste away in bed.
Ershun still hadn’t fully regained his memory, but he was as obedient as he’d been as a child. At eight or nine years old, he could understand what people said, and his headaches weren’t as bad as before—he didn’t cry as often now.
"I’ll be able to bring both of them home on the tricycle soon."
Gui Xiang had already prepared herself to care for them if they were bedridden. Now, even though they were deep in debt, her husband and son were doing much better than she’d expected. She felt like life was finally looking up.
"Yufen, could you help me find a school for Qing? My husband can move around now, so he can help look after our younger one. The little one can eat and drink on his own, and I don’t need Qing’s help with the breakfast stall—I can manage by myself."
"Sure. My goddaughter-in-law is a teacher. Has Qing been keeping up with her studies? How’s her homework?"
"She’s been reading. The girl’s diligent—she’s finished all the assignments you gave her. Qing, go get your homework and show Granny Yang so she can take it to the teacher."
Qing hurried to her room to fetch her work.
"Granny Yang, here’s my homework. And these are the parts I didn’t understand."
"Alright, I’ll take it with me later."
Yang Yufen nodded, dried her hands, and placed the notebooks into a cloth bag.
On the other side of the ocean
"Professor, could I leave a little early today?"
Qin Nian sounded uneasy.
"What’s the matter? You’ve only just gotten started. Unless it’s urgent, set it aside for now."
"I need to call my children at home."
The professor fell silent for a moment.
"You have two hours. This is the last time. My rule is that once you join my research team, you cut off all outside contact. If you can’t do that, you should withdraw now."
Qin Nian froze, then nodded.
Yang Yufen and the children waited by the phone early. When it rang, Professor Wen picked up.
"Is that Nian?"
"Yes, it’s me, Shifu."
"Mom!"
"Mom!"
"Dabao, Erbao."
Qin Nian’s voice came through, followed by the twins chattering about how much they missed her.
"Dabao, Erbao, let Granny talk to Mom for a bit, okay? Mom needs to speak with her."
Qin Nian checked the time. People behind her were already urging her to hurry.
"Granny, Mom wants to talk to you."
Dabao and Erbao stepped aside.
"Nian, I’m here. Go ahead."
"Mom, I’ve been assigned to a research team. Until the experiment is over, I won’t be able to contact anyone outside. It might be a long time before I can call you or the kids again."
Yang Yufen was stunned for a second.
"It’s fine, it’s fine. Xianjun will be back soon anyway. Just take care of yourself out there. The kids have grown taller and chubbier—don’t worry about them."
"Mom, thank you for everything."
Qin Nian held back tears as the voices behind her grew more impatient. She had no choice but to hang up and rush back without delay.
Dabao and Erbao looked up at Yang Yufen.
"Your mom is amazing—she’s doing top-secret work, so she can’t call you. But Dad will be home soon, and he’ll take you out to play. Your friend Wang Xing is waiting for you—let’s hurry back."
Yang Yufen comforted the children.
After sending them off, she turned to Professor Wen with concern.
"Is this normal for Nian?"
"Nian is brilliant—it’s no surprise she was chosen for the research team. Rules like this do exist. I just didn’t expect her to make it in after only two months. That’s really impressive."
Professor Wen was worried too, but he tried to reassure her.
"I’ll have Old Hu pull some strings and ask around."
"Alright."
Yang Yufen nodded.
Qin Nian rushed back to the lab and checked the time—ten minutes to spare.
"Now that you’re here, focus on what matters. There’s work to be done for the nation. Study hard—you have less than two years. You know how urgent this is. Finish reviewing all this data tonight."
A thick stack of documents was thrust into Qin Nian’s hands. She took them without hesitation and immediately began poring over them under the lamplight.
Her tiny room had nothing but a simple bed—no other furniture, no tea, just bitter coffee she still wasn’t used to, not even a grain of sugar.
