The next day.
Qin Baozhu was lying in bed, still half-asleep.
She heard someone knock gently on the bedroom door from outside. When she didn’t respond, a soft, milky voice drifted in through the door:“Mama, can I come in?”
Qin Baozhu had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Her head was a mess of chaotic thoughts, and only when the sky began to lighten did she finally doze off from sheer exhaustion.
Right now, although Zhou Jingrui’s voice entered her ears, she couldn’t react.
It was quiet outside the door for a moment.
Then—
Creaaak—
A small figure walked in, carrying a backpack.
Zhou Jingrui’s big round eyes—exactly like hers—fell on Qin Baozhu’s tired face. He tiptoed closer and called softly:“Mama.”
Qin Baozhu was half-asleep, unbearably drowsy. With her eyes still closed, she made a faint sound of acknowledgment.
Seeing that she still responded to him, Zhou Jingrui was satisfied. He leaned his chubby little face close to hers, beaming:“Mama, I’m going to school. You stay home and be good, okay? When I come back this afternoon, we can build a snowman together.”
Qin Baozhu murmured an unconscious reply:“…Okay.”
“Mama, bye-bye!”
Zhou Jingrui, wearing his little backpack, was in high spirits. When he reached the bedroom door, he saw Zhou Fuguang standing there with a frown, and stuck out his tongue before running off at full speed.
Downstairs, Aunt Feng the housekeeper called,“Ruirui, it’s already six-thirty! Hurry, or you’ll be late!”
“Coming, coming!”
Zhou Jingrui ran downstairs. He first went to the rocking chair to say goodbye to his baby sister Lu Sheng, then happily took Aunt Feng’s hand by the door, tilting up his plump little face and smiling brightly:“Auntie, let’s go~”
Zhou Jingrui was five this year and attended the senior class of a private kindergarten in town.
He was born with a smiley face. Mischievous, yes—but Aunt Feng had taken care of him since he was a baby. With the news that Qin Baozhu had “woken up,” wasn’t recognizing her husband or children, and the sight of the tense-faced man of the house that morning, Aunt Feng’s heart felt tight.
Zhou Fuguang was a well-known entrepreneur in Dejing Town. Six years ago, he started a chicken farm with his retired military brothers, providing many villagers with jobs.
The chicken farm did well. A year ago, he opened a pig farm too.
The pig farm had just started, and since Zhou Fuguang was the biggest investor, he basically lived and worked there.
There were three children in the family:
• Zhou Jingrui, age five, attending kindergarten.• Lu Sheng, two and a half, still needed constant care.• And the youngest, Zhou Yuqing, only six months old.
Because Qin Baozhu had had intellectual issues in the past, she couldn’t take care of the children. And since Zhou Fuguang was too busy, the infant Yuqing was sent to be raised by his grandparents from birth.
As for Aunt Feng—she was hired specially to look after Lu Sheng and Zhou Jingrui, with a monthly salary of 120.
When she first came to the Zhou household, Lu Sheng had just been born, and Jingrui was still a little toddler in a rocking chair, following Qin Baozhu everywhere—adorable beyond words.
Now, with Qin Baozhu suddenly “clear-headed,” Aunt Feng worried for the boy.
Lu Sheng was too young to understand anything. But Zhou Jingrui… he understood a little.
If he learned that his mother woke up and no longer recognized him… wouldn’t he be heartbroken?
Thankfully…
The child had a big heart.
He didn’t seem much different—not like his father, who frowned so tightly.
Aunt Feng squeezed his chubby hand and secretly took a candy from her pocket, slipping it to him.
Zhou Jingrui held the candy, eyes widening in delight. After glancing into the house to make sure his father hadn’t come downstairs, he whispered:“For me?”
Aunt Feng smiled and nodded.“Your dad said I’m not allowed to give you candy anymore. This is the last one.”
Zhou Jingrui held the candy, practically drooling from craving, but he resisted. Lowering his head, he sucked back the drool and solemnly tucked the candy into his small pocket. He planned to give it to Qin Baozhu after school.
His mama loved sweets even more than he did, but after she developed cavities, Dad forbade her from eating them.
He planned to bribe her later—with candy—to get her to build snowmen with him.
“You’re not eating it?”
Aunt Feng looked surprised as he pocketed it.
Zhou Jingrui shook his head.“No, it’s for Mama.”
Hearing that, Aunt Feng felt a pang in her heart.
Your mother… who knows if she’ll even acknowledge you later?
Now that she’s regained her senses, she might want to leave. These three kids and Zhou Fuguang… she might not recognize any of them.
Aunt Feng patted his head, wrapped his little face snugly in a scarf, and led the waddling penguin-like boy out the door.
Outside, snow blanketed the world.
Heavy spring snow had fallen for days, covering the land in white.
Inside, however, the heating made the house warm.
Zhou Fuguang stood by the upstairs window, watching Aunt Feng lead the bundled-up Jingrui toward the kindergarten.
The little guy was babbling about something as he walked, tilting his head up to speak, smiling so brightly that his expression could be seen from far away.
Zhou Fuguang suspected his son was just like his mother—
A fool.
His own mother didn’t recognize him anymore, and he still grinned every day.
Because Lu Sheng was still downstairs in the rocking chair, he didn’t stay at the window long. He withdrew his gaze from his son and glanced at Qin Baozhu—who was lying on the bed pretending to be asleep.
His voice was cool and steady:“Breakfast is kept warm in the pot. It’s egg fried rice. I’m going to work. If something important comes up, go find me at the pig farm. If not, don’t run around.”
Click.
The bedroom door closed.
The warm air from the heater made the room drowsy.
Qin Baozhu, who had woken up the moment he came in, slowly opened her eyes.
She stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling for a moment before reluctantly getting up.
Time to get out of bed.
Avoiding reality was pointless.
She needed to gather some energy and figure out what exactly had happened to her during the missing six years.
Yawning, she opened the wardrobe and saw many stylish women’s outfits inside—expensive-looking, high-quality fabrics. There was even a heavy, snow-white mink coat. Judging by the style, it was hers.
Touching the smooth, luxurious fur, Qin Baozhu was stunned.
Was this guy… rich?
Or had the economy improved so dramatically in six years that things considered luxuries in the city were now common everyday purchases?
She didn’t think much more about it.
Her stomach growled—she hadn’t eaten for too long. She grabbed the mink coat and draped it over herself, slipped on her slippers, and slowly made her way downstairs.