“Alright, you’re not that bad after all. Here, have this meat as my apology.”
“These are fruits from our family’s land. I brought some for you.”
“…What do you like to eat? I can make it for you.”
“I want to see you every day. Will you marry me?”
Lin Miaomiao looked up at the man. Lu Yanzhou lowered his gaze to meet hers and said, “Okay.”
Later—
Lu Yanzhou would hold her close, forcing her to study and read every day. Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on him. He rested his chin on her shoulder, his breath brushing against her cheek. She felt very uncomfortable and often lost focus.
“I don’t want to read anymore.” She could never settle her mind, fidgeting and looking around like a child.
“Why do I have to read every day just because I married you!”
“I’m not a child.” She complained.
He said, “It’s good for you.”
“Miaomiao, you’re very smart.”
“How about I send you to university later?”
She looked shocked. “Really? Can I?”
“Mhm, you’re a genius. Of course you can.”
Lin Miaomiao was encouraged.
She worked hard and studied diligently.
Later, she read until she felt sick and practiced writing until her hands went weak.
But then he had to leave.
“I need to return to the city. Stay home and be good. I’ll come back for you.”
Lin Miaomiao refused, but the man who had always indulged her did not compromise.
Not long after he left, her eldest brother was reported, and her father was suspended for investigation. They said she had relied on her family’s connections to force him.
Lin Miaomiao didn’t believe it. She chased after him into the city, wanting to ask him for the truth.
But then she saw another woman by his side…
A perfect match, a man of talent and a woman of beauty—it was painfully glaring.
Lin Miaomiao jolted awake from the nightmare.
“Mom, Mom.”
“What’s wrong?” She saw her son pushing her by the bedside.
“Mom, you were crying.” A Bao said worriedly.
Lin Miaomiao froze for a moment, touched her face, and found it wet.
She was stunned… It seemed like she had had a very long dream.
Her heart felt empty, somewhat painful.
“This isn’t crying, it’s sweat. Mom was too hot.” She wiped her face and said with a smile.
A Bao blinked. He had heard his mom crying, calling out someone’s name while sobbing.
What was it… Lu Yanzhou?
That person seemed to have made Mom very sad.
He must be a big bad guy, A Bao thought.
Lin Miaomiao got up.
A Bao had already put on his own clothes and was carrying his newly bought small backpack.
Only then did Lin Miaomiao notice that it was already daylight outside.
She hadn’t slept well last night, drifting in and out of dreams. Combined with going to bed too late, she almost didn’t get up.
Fortunately, A Bao had already gotten himself ready. Lin Miaomiao felt a bit ashamed. “It’s all Mom’s fault for oversleeping. I almost made you late.”
Since A Bao hadn’t attended classes before, she still wasn’t quite used to it.
Lin Miaomiao went to wash up and only then realized her eyes were swollen like walnuts.
The scratch on her face had already scabbed over, but it was a long line.
She was lost in thought when she heard A Bao urging her. She hurriedly responded and went out to pack food for the child.
A Bao’s nursery class didn’t have a cafeteria, so Lin Miaomiao prepared the dishes the night before, reheated them in the morning, and put them in a lunchbox for him to carry to school for lunch.
A Bao wasn’t in good health and needed daily supplements of various calcium and vitamins. His meals were also prepared based on nutritional balance. Before the age of three, A Bao didn’t have any major illnesses, but he had many minor ones, which were very trying.
She lacked many things and worried that taking too much medicine might be harmful, after all, all medicines have some toxicity. So over the years, she had researched many dietary recipes and supplemented with vitamins and calcium. A Bao hadn’t fallen ill much for a long time.
Lin Miaomiao had always maintained good habits, and A Bao loved the meals she cooked. Although he wasn’t in the best health, he never picked at his food.
Still, there was some worry. A Bao was already five years old but was only about as tall as a four-year-old.
She herself wasn’t particularly tall, but she stood at 1.65 meters, and Lu Yanzhou towered over others at nearly 190 centimeters.
Logically speaking, A Bao shouldn’t be too short no matter what.
Better to supplement more—maybe eating more calcium tablets would help him grow taller.
As Lin Miaomiao thought this, she made him another cup of malted milk powder, adding a bit of sugar. Then, carrying bags of all sizes, the mother and son headed out.
After dropping her son off at the kindergarten, Lin Miaomiao hurried to the factory.
The factory was bustling today, with many comrades—both men and women—coming for the interview assessment.
Everyone was dressed meticulously and formally.
Lin Miaomiao had previously worked as an ordinary employee, where she didn’t need to go through much of an interview—she could start as soon as she was capable. She had never seen such a scene before, and she had come wearing her ordinary daily clothes.
Just as Lin Miaomiao was sighing to herself, someone suddenly called out to her—an acquaintance from the Tongzilou.
“Miaomiao, I finally found you.”
Lin Miaomiao was puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s going on between you and your sister-in-law? Did you two have a falling out? I saw her brother trying to sell your books.”
She added, “Those books you carried back the other day.”
That day, Lin Miaomiao had carried many books back, and many people had seen it. Some had even praised her for being studious.
Hearing this, Lin Miaomiao’s expression changed instantly.
Those books were Yu Meijing’s treasures, collected over many years. She wouldn’t have taken them out if she didn’t need to study.
Because she had been so busy these past few days, she hadn’t had time to move her things back. She had planned to return them directly to Yu Meijing after the assessment was over.
What madness were these siblings up to now, not even sparing a book?!
Seeing she still had half an hour, Lin Miaomiao turned and hurried back to the nearby Tongzilou.
As soon as she reached her doorstep, she saw a man handing money to Liu Huihui: “Two yuan in total. These are good books, so I’m giving you this much. Others wouldn’t offer you such a price.”
“If you have more good books like these in the future, remember to sell them to me.”
“Sis, I didn’t expect these books to be so valuable. This is enough for my cigarettes,” Liu Hang said, counting the money with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.