At dinner time, Second Brother’s family came back. With four more people in the house, the guest room suddenly felt crowded during the meal.
Qi Ning’an didn’t even come to the table that night. He stayed in the room reading his number book the whole time. Qi Ziyue still couldn’t figure out what Second Sister-in-law was thinking, so she didn’t force the little bean sprout to come out either.
While eating, Qi Ziyue noticed that Second Sister-in-law was acting quite normally and didn’t bring up marriage at all, which finally put her at ease. She picked out some cabbage, potatoes, two pieces of pork intestines, and a bowl of sweet potato porridge for the little one before heading back to the room.
Meanwhile, Eldest Sister-in-law waited for a while and saw that her co-sister wasn’t making any moves. Secretly, she thought the younger sister-in-law had probably worried too much. Even if the younger sister had once been pretty, she had still given birth before and had been insane for several years. Who would be crazy enough to marry her now?
Eldest Sister-in-law relaxed.
After dinner, she helped clean up the dishes and chopsticks before returning to her courtyard to wash her two sons’ faces and feet.
Once she had coaxed the boys to sleep, her husband came into the room as well.
Eldest Sister-in-law was applying Snow Cream in front of the mirror while thinking about how to talk to her husband about his younger sister and An’an.
Qi Eldest Brother hung his clothes on the rack. Seeing that his wife was still calmly doing her skincare, he seemed to be in a good mood and asked, “How was Little Sister when she went out today? Did she show any signs of another episode?”
Eldest Sister-in-law paused mid-pat. Honestly, judging by the younger sister’s current state, she was even more clear-headed than normal people.
Hearing her husband ask, she replied, “She seemed perfectly normal.”
Qi Eldest Brother muttered, “Could she really be completely cured?”
Still worried about another relapse, he added, “We should continue observing her. Especially during this special period, we can’t let our guard down.”
Eldest Sister-in-law felt her husband was overthinking things.
“I think Little Sister is perfectly fine. It’s not as serious as you say. After talking with her today, I even felt that many people aren’t as articulate as she is. She’s actually very smart.”
Those words pleased Qi Eldest Brother greatly. Curious, he asked, “Didn’t you dislike her before? Why the sudden change?”
Eldest Sister-in-law walked over, took the book from his hands, then sat beside the bed and cautiously said, “Ziheng, Little Sister told me today that she doesn’t want to marry anymore. She just wants to raise An’an properly.”
Qi Eldest Brother: “?”
“Why would she suddenly think that?”
Eldest Sister-in-law said she didn’t know.
But taking the opportunity, she carefully brought up Qi Ning’an’s situation. “But Ziheng, if Little Sister really is better now, how does the family plan to settle An’an’s household registration—”
Before she could even finish saying the word “registration,” Qi Eldest Brother’s expression darkened abruptly.
“Don’t mention him.”
“Just because Little Sister says something, you believe it? What does she understand? She’s still young. When people get emotional, they think everything through impulsively. But what about later, when she gets older and suffers while raising a child alone? Who will she blame then?”
“A single unmarried woman raising a child by herself—shouldn’t her own happiness matter too?”
After being lectured by her husband, Eldest Sister-in-law no longer dared to continue. Deep down, she sighed. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help. She actually felt her husband made sense.
No matter what, the family really did need to consider the younger sister’s future happiness.
In the west wing of the back courtyard, Qi Ziyue placed dinner on the table for the child. But the moment the little bean sprout glanced at her, he directly knocked over her bowl of sweet potato porridge.
Patiently, she tried feeding him herself, but the child refused to cooperate. His dark black eyes were full of vigilance and anger when he looked at her.
And beneath that, a fleeting trace of panic.
Qi Ziyue raised her hand high… but ultimately didn’t bring it down.
Instead, she pulled the child into her arms and softened her voice as much as possible.
“An’an, what happened? Food is precious. If you’re unhappy about something, you can tell me. But if you waste food like this again, Mommy will pull down your pants and spank your little butt. If other people find out, won’t you die of embarrassment?”
But the words that used to work before had no effect this time.
Seeing that even the threat of spanking didn’t work, Qi Ziyue simply took the little boy’s hand and showed him the small military coat she bought for him, along with a little down jacket from her space storage.
She planned to have him wear the down jacket underneath and the military coat over it so he’d stay warm.
As for shoes, she had bought fleece-lined sneakers from modern times too. They were waterproof on the outside, far better than cloth shoes. She intended to sew a layer of cloth over them later so no one outside would notice anything strange.
But the little bean sprout didn’t appreciate any of it. He shoved the clothes away and tried to run, his eyes completely red as he glared at her.
As the future darkened final villain, his intelligence, mentality, and abilities were frighteningly high. Qi Ziyue knew in her heart that such a sudden change in behavior meant something must have happened at home.
But now the child wouldn’t even open his mouth to speak.
Qi Ziyue simply pulled him back to sit down and took out the money and ration tickets she had left from the day.
“An’an, Mommy went out today to buy clothes for you, so I don’t know what happened at home. But Mommy wants to tell you this: no matter what you hear or see, it may not be the truth. Mommy will raise you properly.”
“Mommy is the one person you can rely on. If you feel wronged or something happens, you can tell Mommy. We’ll face it together and solve it together.”
“This is money. These are ration tickets. With money and tickets, you can buy delicious things.”
Qi Ziyue took out one one-yuan bill and two two-yuan bills—a total of five yuan—along with grain tickets of equal value. She wanted to give the child some pocket money.
She assumed the child wouldn’t really understand. Once she explained it, he’d probably snatch the money and run off happily.
Instead, the little brat pushed away the colorful tickets, shoved her aside, and ran.
Qi Ziyue: “?”
This was truly a case of “spare the rod and spoil the child.”
Furious, she dragged the little boy back and sternly said, “Hold out your hand. Mommy’s going to punish you.”
The little bean sprout kicked and punched at her, refusing to listen. Even when she hugged him, grabbed his hand, or held onto his clothes, he fought against her stubbornly.
Like a wounded cub attacking everyone around him.
Qi Ziyue grabbed his arm and forcibly pinned him in her embrace through sheer strength before making him stretch out his hand for punishment.
Sometimes, when words fail, force becomes unavoidable.
Once she truly became strict, the child quieted after one smack on the butt.
This time, the little bean sprout looked at her. Realizing he probably couldn’t escape from his mother’s grip, he obediently stretched out his hand when told.
Qi Ziyue’s palm came down, but she didn’t use much force in the end.
The child’s eyes were far too lifeless, carrying deep indifference. How could such a tiny child already harbor so many emotions?
So instead, she lightly tapped his palm once, then turned his hand over and gently kissed the back of it.
“Mommy knows there were many things in the past where I wronged you and made you suffer. Give Mommy some time, okay? Let’s slowly heal those old wounds together.”
“Mommy will raise you properly. And if Mommy still does anything wrong, please forgive me a little more, little An’an.”
Her voice was gentle, and her movements tender and careful.
Qi Ziyue noticed the little bean sprout staring silently at her.
As he watched her, suddenly, a large teardrop splashed onto the back of her hand.
Qi Ziyue: “?”
“What’s wrong?”
She hurriedly hugged and comforted him, but the little bean sprout neither cried aloud nor spoke.
Left with no other choice, Qi Ziyue took him to wash his hands and face.
This time, after washing his hands and feet, just as she was about to wash his face, he shoved her away and ran again.
Qi Ziyue: “…”
Completely impossible to reason with.
Since he had just cried, she decided not to chase him this time. She only called after him from behind, telling him to come back and sleep by nine o’clock.
The little fellow paused briefly before running off again, clearly having no intention of communicating with her at all.
Qi Ziyue had already prepared herself mentally that this little guy would be hard to攻略(win over). She wasn’t too angry. Instead, she was thinking about why he had suddenly changed so drastically again after things had finally improved a little.
At the moment, it seemed she would need another method to solve the problem.
Qi Ziyue returned the untouched food, then went to ask Mother Qi whether the little fellow had shown any unusual behavior during the day.
Mother Qi thought for a moment and said, “Nothing specific. But when your second sister-in-law was talking earlier today, maybe her two children said some unpleasant things.”
Qi Ziyue asked what exactly they had said.
Mother Qi genuinely didn’t think it was a serious issue. After all, from the very beginning, the family’s children had never accepted the little grandson anyway. Why would it suddenly become a problem now?
Instead, Mother Qi tried persuading her younger daughter.
“You’re unmarried after all, and things are strict outside now regarding relationships between men and women. If people outside discover An’an’s existence, you might get implicated too. Mom thinks maybe we could find a suitable family and send An’an away—”
Before she could finish saying “away,” Mother Qi noticed her daughter’s unhappy expression and swallowed the words back down.
Then she earnestly continued, “Mom knows you can’t bear it, but things outside are unsafe right now. You have to think about yourself too. Mom just doesn’t want you dragged down forever.”
Qi Ziyue knew these matters needed to be handled gradually. She simply held Mother Qi’s hand and said softly,
“Mom, I know you’re doing this for my own good. Just give me some time. I’ll handle everything properly, okay?”
Mother Qi felt heartache for her daughter and finally nodded.
As Qi Ziyue walked out, she still turned back and added,
“Mom, don’t say things like that again in the future. I want to keep An’an with me from now on. Don’t think about sending him away, especially not behind my back. If any of you dare do that, don’t blame me for turning hostile.”
Mother Qi felt like she was getting a heart attack from the warning. But seeing her daughter’s firm attitude—and fearing she might go mad again if provoked—she could only pretend to agree for now and soothe her emotions first.
“Don’t be upset. Mom was only discussing it with you. From now on, before I do anything, I’ll tell you first, alright?”
Only then was Qi Ziyue satisfied.
After leaving, she headed straight toward the western courtyard in the front yard where Second Brother’s family lived. But just as she turned around, a dark shadow dashed past, startling her badly.
However, it looked like the shadow had run back toward her own courtyard.
Qi Ziyue followed it back and discovered it was the little bean sprout. She quietly walked over, placed two buns and a white steamed bun beside his bed, then left again.
Originally, she had wanted to ask Second Brother’s children what had happened. But it was already too late; the lights in the western courtyard had gone out, meaning they were already asleep.
She then considered asking Eldest Brother’s children instead, only to find the eastern courtyard dark as well.
Qi Ziyue sighed inwardly.
“Looks like I’ll have to think of another way tomorrow.”
The next morning—
When Qi Ziyue woke up and checked the little bean sprout’s room, things were the same as usual. The child had already dressed himself and disappeared somewhere.
The men of the Qi family had all gone to work.
Even her Second Brother had left for work, though his children were nowhere to be seen either.
Qi Ziyue searched for a while but couldn’t find Eldest Brother’s children either. Around afternoon, however, the kids finally returned.
Qi Ziyue secretly called Haohao and Ruirui to the back garden, then placed an apple and a box of osmanthus cakes in front of them.
The apple was large, round, and bright red, with tiny water droplets still clinging to it. Even the leaf attached to the stem looked fresh.
The golden-yellow osmanthus cakes looked fragrant and beautiful at first glance.
The moment the two little boys saw them, their throats bobbed as they swallowed hard. Their eyes practically shone.
“Little Auntie?”
The boys secretly reached out to grab the apple and cakes while they thought their aunt wasn’t paying attention.
But just as their hands touched them, a larger hand pressed down over theirs.
The two little fellows immediately looked at their aunt pitifully while gulping repeatedly.
Qi Ziyue smiled sweetly.
“Want to eat them badly?”
The boys nodded frantically.
Qi Ziyue said, “Then first tell Little Auntie this—did a little girl move in next door?”
Qi Ningrui’s eyes widened. “Little Auntie, how did you know?”
“Because Little Auntie can predict things. Is that little girl also pretty and delicate-looking? And your cousin secretly went to see her too?”
Qi Ningrui nodded wildly.
Then he looked at her in confusion and asked, “But Little Auntie, weren’t you out these past two days?”
Qi Ziyue curved her lips upward and merely smiled without answering. She patted the two little boys on the head before saying,
“Little Auntie is smart, so I guessed it immediately. Now listen—if you help Little Auntie with one thing, this apple and osmanthus cake are yours. As for how to divide them, that’s up to you two.”
The boys’ eyes widened again.
“What thing, Little Auntie?”
Qi Ziyue explained her plan.
“You see, your cousin not bathing or wearing clean clothes embarrasses you too, right? Little Auntie knows that you kicked your cousin because you lost face outside that day.”
The two boys immediately lowered their heads guiltily.
“But Little Auntie doesn’t blame you.” Qi Ziyue smiled warmly on the surface while inwardly thinking: because I already beat you back for it.
Seeing them look up again, she pushed the apple and cakes slightly closer and continued,
“Tomorrow or the day after, secretly bring your cousin in front of that little girl next door and mock him.”
“Ah—”
Qi Ningrui and Qi Ninghao were completely dumbfounded.
Was this really a biological mother?
Qi Ziyue didn’t explain. She simply asked whether they were willing to do it.
Of course they were willing!
But the two little boys weren’t stupid either, so they hurriedly asked whether there was anything else they needed to do.
“Yes. You need your cousin to personally experience being mocked for not wearing proper clothes… Then the second step is getting that little girl to say one sentence.”
“What sentence?” Ruirui swallowed nervously, suddenly feeling his little aunt was terrifying.
Qi Ziyue beckoned them closer and whispered,
“Make the little girl say: ‘I like clean children. I don’t like dirty children.’”
She asked whether they could do it.
Haohao looked troubled.
“Little Auntie, we’re not even as close to that little girl as Cousin is. The house next door belongs to her grandparents. She only visits a few times each year, and every time she comes she plays with Little Cousin.”
Qi Ziyue handed them an especially pretty hairpin. Under their confused gazes, she gently said,
“If the little girl refuses, then give her this hairpin and bring her to meet Little Auntie. If you succeed, tomorrow I’ll give you another apple and another box of osmanthus cakes.”
Heavens.
The two little boys were practically dizzy from their aunt’s generosity.
After swallowing repeatedly, they cautiously asked, “You won’t tell our dad later, right?”
Qi Ziyue held back her laughter. She placed the apple and cakes into their hands.
“They belong to you now. So, are we doing this deal tomorrow?”
Haohao and Ruirui exchanged a glance before asking carefully,
“Really? An apple and osmanthus cakes?”
Qi Ziyue gave an affirming hum, then stretched out her hand with a smile.
“A gentleman’s word?”
“Can’t be taken back even by four horses!”
Smack!
The two boys high-fived their little aunt before running off with the apple and cakes in their arms.
Halfway down the path, they suddenly turned around and shouted,
“Little Auntie, whoever breaks their promise is a puppy!”
Qi Ziyue: “?”
She shook her fist at them and warned, “If you fail the mission, I’m telling on you!”
The two little brats waved their fists back.
“Mission guaranteed!”
Then they ran off into the distance. They were so excited they even bumped into each other while running.
Qi Ziyue laughed helplessly from behind them.
She thought to herself: after tomorrow or the day after, this little bean sprout should finally be willing to bathe and change clothes, right?
After all, the future female lead—the girl secretly cherished in the future villain’s heart—had finally arrived.