Zhao Xingchen had never been sent down to the countryside, so naturally, he had never seen what rural areas were like, especially a backward and impoverished place like Yang Family Village. He knew even less about what life was like there for children and women.
The countryside Li Huifang had seen was different from Yang Family Village, but she could more or less imagine some of it. Zhao Beichen, however, had personally experienced what life in Yang Family Village was truly like.
There were far too many children as young as Zhao Yinian who ate by grabbing food with their hands, went barefoot, wore clothes covered with patch upon patch, and even ran all over the village without pants despite already being several years old.
At the dinner table that evening, when Li Huifang held Niannian on her lap and fed her, she had already noticed it. Niannian wanted to grab the food with her hands.
Li Huifang said: “Take it slowly. She’s only three. Many habits are only just beginning to form.”
Zhao Beichen said: “If she wants to grab it with her hands, let her.”
Yang Liu rolled her eyes, and Zhao Beichen caught sight of it. The man narrowed his eyes slightly and said: “I’ll sleep in this room tonight. You two can sleep in my room. There’s a bathroom over there.”
Li Huifang glanced at her eldest son and said: “That’s more like it.”
After a round of fussing about, Yang Liu carried Niannian over to Zhao Beichen’s room. Everything on the bed had been changed, and it was extremely comfortable to sleep on. Mother and daughter slept until they naturally woke up. By the time they got up, the house was very quiet.
When Sister Wang saw Yang Liu leading Niannian downstairs by the hand, she said: “You’re up? I’ll serve you some food.”
Yang Liu asked: “Why are you the only one here?”
Sister Wang said: “Those who work went to work, and those who go to school went to school. So of course I’m the only one left.”
Yang Liu said: “Shall I help you?”
Sister Wang said: “No, no. Everything’s already prepared and being kept warm in the pot. I can bring it all over on one tray. You just keep an eye on the child.”
There was millet and pumpkin porridge, braised eggs, beef tossed with cilantro, a plate of small red bean buns, as well as two small cakes and milk.
Sister Wang said: “If that’s not enough, there’s more in the pot.”
Yang Liu said: “It’s enough.” Did they really think the two of them were pigs being fattened up?
After the meal, Yang Liu took Niannian to play in the Zhao Family courtyard. Because the surrounding wall was made in a fence style, people outside could see directly into the courtyard. Several older women, cracking sunflower seeds and chatting, slowly strolled past the Zhao Family residence. A while later, they slowly strolled back past the Zhao Family residence again. Yang Liu thought they were acting furtively and found it very strange.
Could there be gossiping women like those in Yang Family Village even in such a prestigious residential compound?
At noon, only Li Huifang and several of the children came home for lunch.
The Zhao Family’s eldest son had three sons, the second son had two sons, and Third Sister had one son. Niannian was the only girl, so everyone was quite taken with her.
The eldest son’s oldest boy had already joined the army, his second boy boarded at his high school, and the second son’s oldest boy also boarded at his high school. The ones who came back for lunch were the eldest son’s third boy, the second son’s second boy, and Third Sister’s only son. As soon as the three brothers entered the house, they gathered around Niannian, each holding fruit candies in their hands.
Yang Liu was also quite curious about Niannian. She was a child born and raised in Yang Family Village, yet wherever she followed Yang Liu, she never showed the slightest stage fright. She would even point at Zhao Beichen and call him a big bad guy as usual. Li Huifang did not look like an evil person either, so how had Niannian gone astray in her previous life?
Thinking of Song Zhenzhen, Yang Liu became a little curious. Did the current Song Zhenzhen know that Zhao Beichen’s daughter had returned?
According to the plot of the novel, Niannian naturally had not returned at this point. She only returned to the Zhao Family several years after the Original Owner had been forcibly taken away by the Zhang Family.
Li Huifang said to the boys: “Stop giving your little sister candy all the time. What will you do if you ruin her teeth?”
The eldest son’s third boy, Zhao Ziyi, said: “She won’t even pay attention to us if we don’t give her candy.”
Li Huifang washed her hands, changed her clothes, picked Niannian up, and gave her a loud kiss on the cheek. She said: “From now on, you’ll have lots of older brothers protecting you. Are you happy?”
Niannian said: “Not happy~”
Li Huifang: “…”
Zhao Ziyi collapsed onto the floor and cried: “Awoo, awoo! You’re still not happy? Then what would make you happy, little sis?”
Niannian was eating calcium milk biscuits. “I’m only happy when I have Mommy~”
Yang Liu: “…” Was she destined to be permanently tied to this child as her mother?
Yang Liu helped the auntie serve the food. She was quick and efficient at everything she did, and even with those uncommon, novel electrical appliances, she used them skillfully. She knew how to use them even better than Sister Wang did.
Had she really come from some impoverished mountain backwater?
Li Huifang gave Zhao Ziyi a smack. “Stop lying there. Go help your Fourth Aunt bring out the food.”
Zhao Ziyi had many questions he wanted to ask Li Huifang, but he swallowed them all and went to the kitchen to help. He happened to see Yang Liu using a small electric rice cooker to steam an egg cake.
Hadn’t his parents said Yang Liu was an ignorant country bumpkin from the countryside? That she could barely get enough to eat, wore clothes covered in patch upon patch, and could not recognize a single written character? Then how did she know how to make egg cake with an electric rice cooker? And why did she look so practiced at it?
Even Auntie Wang was dumbfounded!
Yang Liu ate very gracefully. She did not wolf down her food just because the table was covered with a lavish lunch. While eating herself, she also had to take care of feeding Niannian. When she saw that the timing was about right, she went to get the egg cake.
The egg cake steamed with milk was soft, fluffy, fragrant, and sweet. Its brilliant golden-yellow color made it look delicious. When Yang Liu brought it over, the boys exclaimed in unison: “Wow~ It looks really delicious!”
Li Huifang glanced at Yang Liu, then looked toward Sister Wang, appearing as though she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
Yang Liu’s hand paused. It seemed she had gotten carried away and let herself go again.
After lunch, the boys gathered together to discuss where they would go play after school that afternoon and what they would play. It was Saturday, so school ended early in the afternoon. They had already been cooped up for several days and could hardly wait any longer.
Li Huifang told Yang Liu to take Niannian upstairs for an afternoon nap. She said: “The child is far too frail. She needs to eat well and sleep well. Once she’s been nourished and grown stronger, she can go observe classes at the Yuhong Preschool Class. You also need to take good care of yourself. You’re too thin.”
Yang Liu said: “All right.”
Li Huifang continued: “After she wakes from her nap, give her a bottle of milk and some snacks and fruit. Then have Sister Wang take the two of you around the compound. There are quite a lot of children around Niannian’s age here. Children like playing with other children. Keeping her shut inside the house all the time will drive her crazy.”
Yang Liu said: “All right.”
She desperately hoped this little young lady would hurry up and get used to it! Once Niannian became accustomed to life here, Yang Liu would finally be able to get away.
As soon as Yang Liu and Niannian went upstairs, Sister Wang reported to Li Huifang: “Don’t you feel that she’s unlike women from the countryside?”
Sister Wang’s hometown was not in a remote mountainous region. It was countryside quite close to the capital, and she could reach home within a few hours by train. Yet even there, there were no women as knowledgeable and worldly as Yang Liu!
Sister Wang carefully reported everything Yang Liu had said and done at home that day to Li Huifang. Some of it she had witnessed while interacting with Yang Liu face-to-face, while some of it she had secretly observed.
Li Huifang was very pleased after hearing it. She had no time to suspect anything and asked Sister Wang: “Didn’t she ask anything about Beichen?”
Sister Wang shook her head. “She really didn’t. She didn’t ask a single thing.”
Li Huifang frowned. This left her completely confused. Logically speaking, shouldn’t Yang Liu be desperately trying to cling tightly to Zhao Beichen’s powerful backing?
Li Huifang quite liked Yang Liu, and Zhao Dongshan also thought she was pretty good.
After the incident all those years ago, Zhao Dongshan and Li Huifang had not personally gone to Yang Family Village. Instead, they had paid a sum of money and sent someone else to settle the matter. After Zhao Beichen married Yang Liu, they had him remain in Yang Family Village for another half a month before returning to the city to join the army.
In any case, the woman they were seeing in person was different from what they had heard about her.
But why had she only come to the capital now? Since she had been able to find the residential compound in the capital, that proved she was not stupid. Then why had she not written to the family when she gave birth back then?