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After hanging up the phone without caring about the man's reaction on the other end, Wen Qian turned around to find her son looking at her with red-rimmed eyes.
Oh no, she had forgotten to avoid talking in front of him and hadn’t let them have a chance to speak. Xiao Chen ran over with a red nose and hugged Wen Qian, his eyes glistening with tears.
She crouched down to embrace him, saying, "Mommy was just scaring Daddy. Do you want Daddy to come?"
"I want Daddy to come."
"Be good, don’t cry." She raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her son's face.
Wen Qian took her son to the post office to withdraw some money. As soon as they reached the counter, the clerk recognized her and greeted her warmly, "Hey there! You're here to withdraw money again, and this time you brought your child along!"
Saying this, she pulled some candy from her pocket and offered it to Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen looked at her, and Wen Qian nodded, prompting him to accept it.
"Liujie, I’d like to withdraw some money," Wen Qian said.
Liujie fetched her ledger and money, handing it over along with several bills stuffed into an envelope.
While Wen Qian counted the money, Liujie glanced around to ensure no one was watching and leaned in closer, whispering, "Do you have any tickets to exchange this time?"
Wen Qian smiled at her and replied, "Sister, come out for a moment."
"Okay! You wait for me at our usual spot; I’ll be right there."
Wen Qian took her son to their usual meeting place. It wasn’t long before Liujie arrived, looking excited as she gazed at Wen Qian.
"What tickets do you have? Sister Qian has everything prepared!"
"Just these tickets," Wen Qian said as she showed them.
Liujie’s eyes lit up when she saw the tickets. "Wow, that’s quite a few!"
"Sister, can you help me with these?" Wen Qian asked with a smile.
"Of course! Why wouldn’t I? You know I wouldn’t deceive you."
As Liujie counted the money, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe; this amount could support someone in the city for an entire month. This girl truly was fortunate; having a man who could earn money was a blessing indeed.
Although Lu Zheng had specifically arranged for someone to assist her, without personal stakes involved, who would help for so many years?
Wen Qian took Lu Chen into the city; they needed to deposit the money first because keeping such a large sum on hand wasn’t safe. After depositing the money, they wandered around a store where Wen Qian noticed her son’s bright and curious eyes. She felt an overwhelming sense of regret for her past self.
She bought him some popsicles; it was summer and hot outside, causing sweat to bead on Xiao Chen's face.
"Mommy should eat first," he insisted.
Wen Qian was touched by his thoughtfulness and gently patted his head. "Mommy won’t eat; you go ahead!"
They then went to a state-run restaurant where they ordered several meat dishes and two bowls of white rice for Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen sat on the stool, his mouth smeared with grease, his little belly round and full, as if he wanted to lick the plates clean.
Seeing her son like this, Wen Qian felt a deeper sense of guilt. In her previous life, Xiao Chen had been taken away without ever tasting a good meal. This time, she was determined to make it up to him.
After finishing their meal, she bought a few meat buns and took her son for a stroll around the city. Whenever they felt hungry, they would eat a bun, and they caught the last cart home.
There was a fierce battle waiting for them at home. The Lu family would be arriving in two days, and she had to hold on during this time.
What she didn’t know was that on the other end of the phone, Lu Zheng tensed up at her words, veins bulging on his forehead. He hurriedly took leave and rushed to catch the earliest bus home.
Wen Qian and Lu Chen arrived home just in time for dinner. She looked at the food on the table, plopped down onto a stool, picked up chopsticks for her son, and began to eat.
Ding Cuihua and Zhang Yan were about to start a commotion when Lu’s father stopped them.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was heavy until Ding Cuihua glanced at Wen Qian’s expression and spoke up: “Eldest daughter-in-law, your mother plans to renovate the house. Your brother and sister-in-law are planning to have a third child; soon there won’t be enough space.”
Wen Qian nodded, forcefully scooping several pieces of meat from the plate into Xiao Chen’s bowl. “Sounds good!”
The others at the table sighed in relief. Ding Cuihua smiled at her: “Then you should take out some money so we can see how much we have for the renovations.”
“Just because I said I have no objections doesn’t mean I’m going to pay,” Wen Qian replied.
Ding Cuihua’s face darkened instantly as she slammed her chopsticks down on the table. “What do you mean by that?”
Wen Qian looked at them with a cold smile. “You just said it’s Zhang Yan who’s having a baby and that there won’t be enough room; it’s not me who’s having another child.”
She pointed towards the house. “This house was renovated with Lu Zheng’s money! I even gave up my room when she had her baby because it was too cramped.”
Zhang Yan's sharp voice cut in: “Sister-in-law, are you implying that I’m having too many children? I’m only trying to give more descendants to the Lu family.”
“Then I won’t have any more children,” she continued sarcastically. “That way I can avoid your sour comments.”
“Sister-in-law, are you jealous because my relationship with Lu Yao is good? Everyone knows that Big Brother hasn’t been around for four years; you must be itching for him! You’re not still thinking about my Lu Yao, are you?”
Wen Qian shot her a cold glance, causing Zhang Yan to instinctively step back. The wound from earlier that morning still hurt; her face was swollen.
In previous years, there had been rumors in the village about Wen Qian and Lu Yao being together; she had ignored them since she had nothing to hide. After all, she had grown up alongside Lu Yao in the same village and even attended school together occasionally.
There were whispers suggesting they would eventually marry. After her parents died protecting the village's crops, many people had their eyes on her—hoping to get their hands on her compensation money.
Lu Yao had been overly attentive towards her lately; perhaps hearing all those village rumors had made her develop a slight fondness for him. But after being saved from drowning by Lu Zheng, she married him instead.
It was said that on the day Lu Zheng came to propose, the two brothers had a huge fight at home. After that incident, she let go of any feelings she had for Lu Yao.
Wen Qian cast a cold glance at Zhang Yan. "Sister-in-law, you can't just talk nonsense. I'm thinking about Lu Yao; this isn't a joke."
"Don't you know what your man looks like? How can you even compare him to Lu Zheng? I wouldn't want him even if he were offered to me."
"Can Lu Yao be compared to Lu Zheng? Lu Zheng is over six feet tall, with a straight posture and handsome features. His clean-cut hairstyle makes him look exceptionally rugged."
In contrast, Lu Yao is only around five foot six, and Lu Zheng could easily knock him down with one punch. He also has a rather unappealing appearance, with eyes that resemble inverted triangles like Ding Cuihua's, giving him a sinister look. She couldn't help but wonder if she had been overly heartbroken at the time to have chosen him.
How could two brothers be so different?
Furious, Lu Yao stood up, ready to hit Wen Qian. She slammed her chopsticks on the table and glared at him.
He thought he could hit her? She would be lucky if she didn't kick him over instead.
Lu Yao awkwardly remained standing; in the end, he didn't dare to approach her.
Wen Qian pulled Lu Chen up and raised her hand to touch the table, only to find that everyone else quickly pressed down on it.
With a cold laugh, she took Xiao Chen into the room.
That night, before going to bed, Wen Qian bathed her son. Looking at his bony frame, she couldn't help but think of how chubby Lu Wen and Lu Feng were.
Even she herself looked pale and frail, as thin as a stick.
When her parents were still alive, she had been fair and beautiful—no one in ten villages could match her looks, and suitors lined up for her hand.
It was just that her parents were too kind-hearted; being their only child, she was spoiled and grew up soft and pliable like dough.
Suddenly, Xiao Chen looked at Wen Qian with a shy smile. "Mom, the meat was delicious today."
"It was good; next time I’ll take you out to eat again."
The night passed peacefully. Wen Qian held her son and slept soundly. After being a ghost for so long, she had developed some psychological resilience.
In contrast, on the train, Lu Zheng was restless, his face grim. The veins on his forehead never relaxed.
The next morning, when Wen Qian got up and saw the clothes left at the door, her expression instantly turned cold.
Their family was unbearably lazy; even the underwear of Lu Yao and his wife was washed by her. They wouldn’t eat unless she prepared their food and brought it to them.
Over the years, both she and Lu Yao had benefited from this arrangement; their family of four was well-fed and round, wobbling as they walked.
Those who knew she was their sister-in-law might understand; those who didn’t would think she was their maid!
Wen Qian picked up a stick to lift the clothes and entered the kitchen, where she saw Ding Cuihua cursing while cooking.
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