During the day, when Qi Ziyue saw the little bean sprout, the child still barely spoke to her.
But there was one improvement.
When she brought food over and later returned after leaving, the sweet potato porridge and cornmeal buns had both been eaten cleanly.
At least he was still eating.
So Qi Ziyue stopped worrying about where the little bean sprout disappeared to.
That evening, just as the Qi family was about to finish dinner, Second Sister-in-law brought up the topic of finding a husband for the younger sister.
Seeing everyone gathered together, she cheerfully said to Qi Ziyue,
“Yueyue, I think you’re truly better now. You’ve looked healthier these past few days too. The day I came back, I already discussed it with Mom and Dad. Deputy Director Lin used to like our Yueyue before, and after hearing that you recovered, he’s willing to marry you properly and honorably. Yueyue, do you remember Brother Lin?”
Qi Ziyue paused while drinking tomato egg soup.
“Which Brother Lin?”
She genuinely didn’t remember much from the original owner’s life before she went insane. Right now, even if the little bean sprout’s biological father stood in front of her, she wouldn’t recognize him—let alone some Director Lin who supposedly liked the original owner.
Second Sister-in-law smiled awkwardly.
After studying her expression and confirming she truly didn’t remember, she continued,
“Your Brother Lin is now the deputy director of the Revolutionary Committee in West City District. Quite a few members of the Lin family work in the Revolutionary Committee too. His prospects are excellent right now. Plenty of women are hoping to marry him.”
Qi Ziyue glanced toward Eldest Brother and noticed him frowning slightly, so she stayed silent and let Second Sister-in-law continue talking.
She remained quiet, but Eldest Sister-in-law was the first to attack.
Originally, she had suspected the younger sister-in-law might have misunderstood things. Yet now it turned out the proposal was real.
She still couldn’t figure out what benefits her co-sister would gain from marrying off the younger sister, but regardless, she had no intention of letting her have an easy time.
So she bluntly asked,
“That sounds nice and all, but what about An’an? Is Yueyue supposed to bring An’an along when she marries into the Lin family?”
After a brief look of surprise, Second Sister-in-law smiled again.
“That issue has already been discussed with Mom and Dad. We plan to send An’an away. That way, once Little Sister marries into the Lin family, she can have another child of her own. After all, for a marriage to be stable, a couple needs their own biological child.”
Qi Ziyue glanced toward Father Qi and Mother Qi.
She noticed Mother Qi cautiously looking at her but remaining silent.
At that moment, Father Qi spoke.
“I agree with this arrangement. We spared his life back then, and now that he’s old enough to survive, sending him away is already merciful. Since Yueyue is better now, she should start reconsidering her own future.”
Qi Ziyue asked calmly,
“Dad, where are you planning to send him?”
“We’ll probably look into relatives back in the hometown. Some of your grand-uncles’ families are still there. We can send him there.”
Father Qi continued,
“Lin Xuqiu may have seemed average before, but the Lin family has strong connections within the Revolutionary Committee. If you marry over there, they’ll be able to protect you.”
Suddenly, Eldest Brother interjected.
“But Dad, Lin family’s previous wife only died recently. He already has two children. Being a stepmother isn’t easy. Little Sister may end up suffering.”
Second Sister-in-law immediately responded,
“Big Brother, you’re overthinking. What man doesn’t like holding his wife while sleeping? Besides, he already liked Little Sister before. These past years, can you honestly say our family hasn’t survived partly because of the Lin family’s protection? Even while Little Sister was insane, he still remembered their old feelings.”
“Now that Little Sister is better, once she marries over there and gives birth to a biological child, the first wife’s children can simply be sent back to their grandparents to raise.”
“And honestly, with our family’s current situation, the Lin family won’t really dare mistreat Little Sister anyway.”
She paused before adding more bluntly,
“Besides, although Little Sister is pretty, she did go through that scandalous incident. She already gave birth to a child and was insane for years. Once people know the truth, how many men would truly dare marry her and still treat her well?”
The room suddenly fell silent.
Second Sister-in-law continued earnestly,
“And with times being so unstable right now, there’s no guarantee how long our family can even stay safe. Are we really supposed to keep Little Sister at home forever and let her never marry?”
“What woman doesn’t need someone to rely on?”
After finishing, she even picked up some stir-fried cabbage for Qi Ziyue and gently advised her,
“Little Sister, it’s not that Second Sister-in-law wants to force you into marriage. But you’re a woman. You’ll be twenty-three soon. Age is so important for girls. Once you get older, it becomes harder to find a husband.”
“If you marry, this place will still always be your home. You can return anytime. And you’ll have one more person to love and protect you. Then the family can finally stop worrying.”
Wow.
Qi Ziyue genuinely stared at this second sister-in-law for several seconds.
Amazing.
She almost wanted to applaud.
No wonder after Second Sister-in-law returned and discussed things, her parents had basically agreed.
Qi Ziyue didn’t rush to speak.
But Eldest Sister-in-law became anxious first.
“You make being a stepmother sound easy. Then why don’t you go become one yourself? You say the Lin family will treat Little Sister well—but what guarantees do you have?”
“Little Sister only just recovered. What if your meddling drives her insane again? Will you or Second Brother personally take care of her every day afterward?”
The more Eldest Sister-in-law spoke, the more confident she became.
Finally, she turned toward Eldest Brother and added,
“And Little Sister already made it clear she doesn’t want An’an sent away. If you people secretly get rid of the child and she loses her mind again, don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
The moment those words came out, Mother Qi panicked first.
She quickly turned to Qi Ziyue.
“Yueyue, what’s your own opinion? If you agree, we can still continue raising An’an here. You can come back and visit anytime.”
Qi Ziyue looked at her two older brothers.
“Big Brother, Second Brother—what do you two think?”
Eldest Brother answered immediately,
“Whatever you want, your brother supports you.”
Second Brother actually wasn’t bad-looking. Thin and scholarly, he wasn’t exactly uncaring toward the original owner either. Even during the years she was insane, he had secretly brought her food many times.
Unfortunately, the man was hopelessly afraid of his wife.
So when Qi Ziyue questioned him, he originally intended to say a few supportive words for his little sister.
But the moment his wife pinched his knee beneath the table, his words instantly changed.
“Little Sister… actually, the Lin family really is quite good. Even if others might harm you, at least your second brother thoroughly investigated them for you.”
Qi Ziyue nodded.
“Thank you, Second Brother.”
“Second Brother, I remember when we were little, you carried me around saying you’d make me the happiest little sister in the world. So now… you think the Lin family can give me happiness?”
The moment she said that, Second Brother immediately retreated.
“Then… Second Brother will still listen to your own thoughts.”
After that, he completely turned into background decoration.
No matter how hard his wife pinched him afterward, he pretended not to notice.
His entire strategy was simply playing dead.
The attitude nearly infuriated Second Sister-in-law to death.
At that moment, seeing Second Sister-in-law preparing to speak again, Qi Ziyue directly turned toward Father Qi.
“Dad, Mom, Big Brother, Second Brother—I’ll say this clearly today.”
“No matter how good the Lin family is, and no matter how much you all oppose me raising An’an, I will never marry again.”
“I’m going to raise An’an myself.”
The moment she said that, Second Sister-in-law looked deeply confused.
“The Lin family is such a good match. Why won’t you marry into them? Where else will you find someone this good?”
Qi Ziyue replied casually,
“If you like them so much, then you marry them.”
“You—!”
Second Sister-in-law’s face turned the color of pig liver.
She trembled in anger, stammering “you you you” for half the day without managing another word.
Father Qi slammed the table furiously.
“How can you speak to your second sister-in-law like that? Isn’t she thinking for your sake? Even if you don’t appreciate it, you shouldn’t speak to her that way!”
“And besides, which part of what she said was wrong? That child was always a bastard of unknown origin anyway. He should’ve been sent away long ago. The fact that a family like the Lin family is willing to marry you at all—that’s your fortune and your blessing!”
Bang!
Qi Ziyue slammed her bowl down hard.
Luckily, Eldest Brother and Second Brother reacted quickly and caught it before it shattered.
Each brother grabbed one of her hands while soothing her gently.
“Little Sister, don’t relapse. Your brothers are still here. Don’t be afraid.”
Qi Ziyue glanced at her cowardly second brother in surprise.
This man really was the ultimate fence-sitter.
Whenever she became fierce, he immediately sided with her.
Whenever his wife became fierce, he instantly sided with his wife instead.
Eldest Brother held her hand and gently comforted her while also trying to calm Father Qi.
“Dad, stop saying so much. Little Sister’s condition still isn’t stable.”
Father Qi was so angry his head hurt.
“Were you just trying to hit me?”
Qi Ziyue replied coldly,
“Dad, I hope you stop using words like ‘bastard.’ If An’an is a little bastard, then I’m a big bastard. Then what does that make my brothers—and you?”
Eldest Sister-in-law nearly burst out laughing beside them.
Both older brothers were implicated too, but they merely turned their heads away and pretended not to hear.
Father Qi looked ready to suffer a stroke.
Pointing at her, he finally snapped,
“You truly can’t distinguish good from bad! Your second sister-in-law may have selfish motives, but the Lin family really is a good family. We all investigated them before agreeing!”
“And look at the nonsense you’re saying now. Are you trying to anger your father to death?”
Qi Ziyue replied calmly,
“And you’re trying to drive me insane too.”
Father Qi felt chest pains coming on.
Finally, unable to endure it any longer, he shouted,
“Then what exactly do you want? Are you really never going to marry? Fine—even if you reject the Lin family, we can look for the Zhang family or the Li family instead. Do you really intend to anger your father to death?”
Seeing Father Qi was angry enough already, Qi Ziyue finally softened her tone.
“Dad… do you dislike me?”
Father Qi’s temples throbbed violently.
“How could your father dislike you? It’s just that your mother and I can’t protect you forever. Your brothers have families of their own too. When your mother and I grow old and die, what will happen to you? Who will protect you?”
Suddenly, Qi Ziyue’s anger vanished.
She walked over and gently patted the old man’s back.
“Dad, there’s no rush for me to marry. The current situation is unstable. Sending me off in a hurry isn’t wise.”
“Even if you want me to marry eventually, shouldn’t we properly investigate the man first? First, to examine his character. Second, to see whether my illness truly won’t return. That way we also avoid dragging trouble onto the family.”
The tension Father Qi had been holding finally eased.
He looked at her carefully.
“So you really are willing to marry eventually?”
Qi Ziyue nodded obediently.
“I just need some time first, okay?”
This time, Father Qi agreed.
“It does seem we were rushing things a bit.”
Her two older brothers immediately nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Qi Ziyue quietly brought up another point.
“Dad, if when you had me, you considered me a burden… would you have stopped raising me?”
Father Qi answered immediately,
“Of course we would raise you! Does your father seem like that kind of person?”
Qi Ziyue smiled softly.
“Exactly. So Dad, think about it from my perspective.”
“I’m your daughter. The backbone and moral principles within you are also within me. That’s the strength of inheritance and blood.”
“If you would never abandon me, then how could I abandon An’an?”
“You’re an authority in education. You understand better than anyone that true education is rooted in a person’s character and integrity.”
“So naturally, I must lead by example.”
“Dad, doesn’t it make sense that I reject the Lin family? If they can’t even accept the fact that I already have a child, how could I possibly trust their character enough to believe they’ll truly treat me well?”
Her logic completely confused the entire family.
Yet somehow, Father Qi also felt she made a little sense.
After a pause, he still sighed painfully.
“But you’re my daughter. There’s no need for you to ruin the rest of your life over some irresponsible man.”
Just thinking about it made him furious.
And the angrier he became, the more resentment he felt.
At that moment, Qi Ziyue gently held Father Qi’s arm and soothed him.
“Dad, as long as I don’t care, it’s fine.”
“But Dad, if you truly want me to marry someday, shouldn’t we first register An’an’s household status properly?”
The moment household registration was mentioned, Father Qi exploded again.
“Register what household status? If you truly don’t want to marry, then don’t marry! But if you want to register that child’s hukou, then wait until your father dies first!”
This time, the old man was genuinely furious.
Mother Qi hurriedly tried comforting him.
Qi Ziyue still wanted to argue, but Eldest Brother suddenly grabbed her hand and shook his head at her.
Then he said earnestly,
“Yueyue, whether you marry or not, your brother will support you. And if you want more time to evaluate people’s character, that’s fine too.”
“But regarding An’an’s household registration… stop bringing it up.”
“As long as you refuse to tell us who that man was, our entire family will never accept that child.”
Qi Ziyue: “…”
Before she could respond, Father Qi added furiously,
“If you really want to register him, then let your father die first!”
Qi Ziyue: “?”
Just as she was about to continue arguing—
Bang!
A loud sound suddenly echoed nearby.
Everyone turned toward the source of the noise and saw a dark figure sprinting away.
Qi Ziyue immediately recognized the little bean sprout.
“An’an!”
She hurriedly chased after him.
But the little bean sprout ran incredibly fast, clearly having no intention of waiting for her.
Too lazy to say anything else to the family, Qi Ziyue simply ran after him directly.
Second Sister-in-law still looked unwilling to give up. She glared fiercely at her husband before hurrying after Qi Ziyue.
“Little Sister, then what should we tell the Lin family? Should we postpone the engagement first and let you think about it before agreeing?”
Without even slowing down, Qi Ziyue answered directly,
“Second Sister-in-law, no matter how good the Lin family is, I’m not marrying into them.”
Second Sister-in-law anxiously continued,
“But the Lin family’s conditions are amazing! If you marry over there, you’ll enjoy endless blessings!”
Qi Ziyue suddenly stopped and looked at her.
“Second Sister-in-law… isn’t it your family that benefits from the Lin family?”
Then she turned and ran off.
But the damage from that single sentence was enormous.
When Second Sister-in-law returned, Eldest Sister-in-law immediately asked,
“So there really are benefits for your maiden family if Little Sister marries over there?”
Second Sister-in-law nearly coughed blood from anger.
She felt utterly wronged inside.
How was she supposed to explain this?
Even if it were true… how did Little Sister know?
Before she could say anything, however, her useless husband suddenly blurted out,
“They promised to arrange a job.”
Father Qi instantly slammed the table again in fury.
“Who taught you all these crooked ideas? No matter what the Lin family promised, you are not allowed to accept it!”
After saying that, Father Qi stormed off angrily.
Only a furious Second Sister-in-law and a secretly delighted Eldest Sister-in-law remained behind.
Eldest Sister-in-law nearly laughed herself sick inside.
Their little sister-in-law truly had become incredible.
Every accusation she tossed out landed perfectly on target.