When Su Minzhi returned from work, the last glow of sunset lingered along the horizon. The narrow alleyway was washed in a soft golden-red hue, and the old brick walls of the shikumen houses seemed to shine with the luster of bygone days.
Clothes hung in the courtyard swayed gently in the breeze. From a neighbor’s radio came Liu Lanfang’s storytelling The Yang Family Generals, the voice weaving together with the shouts of children playing, full of lively street flavor.
The Su family’s black lacquered wooden door was left ajar, but the inside was quiet.
Only Su Niannian was in the house. She sat at a small square table near the latticed window, doing her homework, her pencil brushing softly against the paper.
The sun’s fading light streamed through the patterned window frame, stretching her shadow long across the mottled wall.
Hearing footsteps, Su Niannian looked up. A figure stepped in from the doorway, haloed by the light behind her.
A younger Su Minzhi.
Just thirty years old, dressed in a light blouse and sharp trousers, her features cool and refined. She carried a calm confidence that needed no words.
Su Niannian froze, her heart thudding.
This was the future financial powerhouse who would one day dominate headlines as the richest woman in the country.
Su Minzhi walked over, bent down, and gently wrapped her arms around her daughter from behind. Her voice melted into a tired but tender warmth after a long day.
“What’s wrong, Niannian?”
For a moment, the warmth of that embrace made Su Niannian’s mind blur—she almost felt as though she had returned to her previous life, leaning against her mother’s shoulder.
Her nose stung. Her eyes reddened.
“Mom… I was really scared today…”
Instantly alarmed, Su Minzhi cupped her small face. “Niannian, what happened?”
Niannian sniffed, her voice timid.
“On the way to school, a big yellow dog chased me. Its eyes were red… it looked crazy. I almost got bitten… A soldier uncle happened to pass by and scared it off.”
A shiver ran down her spine at the memory.
Su Minzhi’s heart tightened. She patted her back gently.
“My good girl, you were terrified, weren’t you? Starting tomorrow, Mommy will take you to school. Don’t be afraid—Mommy’s here.”
Sparrows fluttered their wings in the courtyard. The fractured sunset fell across mother and daughter, warming the quiet room.
After a moment, Niannian remembered what had happened earlier. She spoke carefully:
“Mom, a woman came by today—a lady in her thirties, and she brought a little boy. She said her name is Liu Xianglan, and she came from Pengcheng. Then Grandma went out with her and hasn’t come back yet.”
“From Pengcheng?” Su Minzhi’s brows tightened, her tone dropping.
“Yes, she said so herself.”
Su Minzhi thought for a moment.
“Then she’s probably a relative from your grandfather’s hometown. Your grandfather’s family is from Pengcheng. Your father was sent down to the countryside there too.”
Niannian’s heart jumped. Her breath paused.
She quickly strung the clues together—Fang Yuming was sent down to Pengcheng, Liu Xianglan came from Pengcheng, and she brought a little boy…
Her fingers tightened around her pencil.
Surely it can’t be that melodramatic… right?!
Just then, footsteps echoed from the courtyard, clear against the stone ground. The wooden door creaked open. A woman and a small boy stepped in—Liu Xianglan and her son, Liu Xiaolei.
Niannian jolted and immediately recognized them. She clutched Su Minzhi’s sleeve tightly and whispered,
“Mom, it’s them.”
Su Minzhi rose and walked calmly toward the entryway.
“You came from the Pengcheng hometown?”
“Yes,” Liu Xianglan answered quickly.
Su Minzhi paused, already having a sense of things.
“Come in and sit.”
Liu Xianglan brought her son across the threshold. Her eyes swept across the neat, proper furnishings of a city household, and faint envy flickered beneath her lashes.
Liu Xiaolei, upon entering, looked straight at Niannian. His gaze lingered for a few seconds—filled with hostility—before he stubbornly looked away.
Su Minzhi’s expression didn’t change.
“Father isn’t back from work yet. Since you came from the old hometown, I assume you’re here for him?”
But Liu Xianglan’s eyes locked onto her instead, breath trembling.
“You’re Yuming’s wife?”
“I am.”
Liu Xianglan’s gaze burned.
“I’m not here to see your father-in-law. I came to see you!”
“Me?” Su Minzhi’s brows drew together.
Before she could ask more, Liu Xianglan suddenly jumped up and grabbed her arm, speaking rapidly, almost pleading—
“Big sister, Xiaolei is Yuming’s own flesh and blood. He’s obedient and smart. Please be kind—let him stay here…”
Niannian sat wide-eyed, heart pounding.
Her earlier guess flashed through her mind—and now it was confirmed.
Oh my god, she really guessed right!
But Su Minzhi reacted instantly, cutting sharply,
“Who is Xiaolei? Him?” She pointed at the boy standing stiffly by the side.
“Yes—yes, that’s him!” Liu Xianglan pulled the child forward, almost pushing him toward Su Minzhi.
“Look at him—doesn’t he look like Yuming?”
But Su Minzhi didn’t look at the child at all. Instead, her gaze locked coldly onto Liu Xianglan.
“You’re speaking in circles. Let’s make this clear. I’ll ask, you answer. Liu Xiaolei is Fang Yuming’s son, and you are Liu Xiaolei’s mother, correct?”
“Yes, I gave birth to him.”
“And what is your relationship with Fang Yuming?”
“I was… before him… We bowed to heaven and earth, held a wedding feast…”
“You were married?” Su Minzhi cut in, eyes sharp as a blade.
“Yes!” Liu Xianglan blurted out.
“And after you married, you had this child?”
“Yes, when Yuming went back to the city, I didn’t even know I was pregnant. Later… I couldn’t reach him anymore…”
Su Minzhi’s eyes grew colder.
“When Fang Yuming returned to the city, were you divorced?”
Liu Xianglan froze, shaking her head in confusion.
“He just left! How is that divorce?”
“You never obtained a marriage certificate?”
Liu Xianglan lowered her voice.
“In our village, bowing and holding a banquet counts as marriage. Who needs a certificate?”
Su Minzhi understood now. Her gaze chilled further.
She took a steadying breath.
“You came looking for Fang Yuming… for the child?”
Liu Xianglan nodded repeatedly, speaking fast.
“Yes! Xiaolei is bright, and his father is a city man. He should also be a city person. I want to bring him back here.”
Her voice grew shaky, emotions spilling over.
“Sister, I’m not here to fight you for Yuming—I’ve already remarried. I just want Xiaolei to stay in the city. He can’t be trapped in the countryside forever…”
Her voice cracked. Tears finally spilled down her cheeks.
And Niannian thought—
This was even more dramatic than a soap opera.