Qi Ning’an still looked a little uncomfortable.
He wasn’t even five years old yet, but he was already quite tall, around 1.2 meters.
In the past, he was always grimy and dirty, and his little face was rarely ever properly washed. Who would have thought that after putting on a little military coat, the tiny boy would suddenly become unbelievably handsome?
Haohao and Ruirui circled around the little boy excitedly. Both of them stared enviously at his military coat and the clothes underneath, taking turns praising how good they looked.
Ruirui reached out and touched the military coat. His little hand accidentally brushed against the clothes underneath. They were soft and warm, and most importantly, they looked especially stylish when worn.
After envying him long enough, he ran to his mother and started clamoring for one too.
Sister-in-law Qi smacked her younger son lightly on the head. “Want what? That belongs to your cousin.”
Ruirui protested indignantly, saying his father earned money too, so why couldn’t they buy one?
Before he could finish, his mother smacked him twice more, finally silencing him.
Haohao was older, already ten years old. Although he wasn’t as obsessed with pretty clothes as little girls were, he still thought his little cousin looked incredibly cool dressed like that. He was honestly very jealous too.
But after seeing his younger brother get scolded, he swallowed the words he wanted to say.
Seeing their aunt take their cousin away to dry his hair, the brothers exchanged a glance and immediately ran over to ask for their reward.
Qi Ziyue remembered the reward she promised them, so she took the opportunity to give each boy a banana. Afterward, she asked the two little boys what kind of coat they liked best before sending them back to help out.
At dinner that night, Qi Ning’an still didn’t come eat with everyone, but Haohao and Ruirui remained obsessed with his clothes.
So while the eldest branch of the family was walking home after dinner, Qi Ninghao and Qi Ningrui asked their father, “Dad, An’an’s clothes are so nice. Can you buy us a set too?”
Brother Qi had listened to them talking the whole way and understood that the clothes had been bought by his younger sister for her son.
Their family income wasn’t low these days. A military coat was still affordable, so he simply agreed. “The military coat is fine. But not the padded jacket underneath.”
Ruirui puffed out his cheeks. “But the clothes underneath are what I really like!”
Brother Qi hadn’t seen An’an that day, so hearing his son talk about it made him curious. “Are they really that nice? Enough for you to keep thinking about them nonstop?”
Sister-in-law Qi nodded. “An’an looked like a completely different person today. He’s honestly very good-looking. Back then, little sister probably fell for that man because he was handsome.”
Brother Qi disliked talking about that man. The moment he was mentioned, he stopped speaking altogether.
Qi Ninghao interrupted, asking, “Where did Auntie buy them?”
“And those shoes An’an wore were pretty amazing too. They’re waterproof.”
Sister-in-law Qi casually asked, “What shoes?”
Qi Ningrui replied, “Those white shoes. I saw An’an walk around the puddles in the courtyard several times. I asked him if his shoes got wet, and he said no.”
Sister-in-law Qi wondered what kind of shoes those were.
When the children asked where they were bought, she casually said, “Probably from a department store. Later Mom will go take a look for you.”
Brother Qi added, “Your aunt probably spent a lot of money. Your little cousin hasn’t worn nice clothes in years. Is it so wrong for him to finally wear something good once?”
Haohao and Ruirui immediately fell silent, though deep down they desperately wanted them too.
Seeing the longing in her sons’ eyes, Sister-in-law Qi said she would go look around and ask about the price.
Brother Qi suddenly interjected, “If even you’ve never seen them before, do you really think they’re sold in ordinary stores? Tell little sister not to go to strange places again next time. It’s dangerous.”
His wife found that strange. “You mean the black market? But little sister wasn’t away from me for very long that day.”
The moment she said that, she noticed her husband glaring at her, so she wisely stopped talking. Still, she leaned toward believing the clothes had been bought at a department store.
…
Because she had promised her sons the special padded jackets the day before, Sister-in-law Qi went to line up at the state-run department store early the next morning.
But after wandering through the entire third floor, she still couldn’t find the style of clothes Qi Ziyue had bought for An’an. There were military coats available, but by the time it was finally her turn in line, they had already sold out.
Sister-in-law Qi: ?
Left with no choice, she secretly went to the black market to search, but she still couldn’t find them there either.
Now she truly started wondering, “Where exactly did she buy them? I’ll ask her when I get back.”
By the time Sister-in-law Qi returned home, it was already afternoon. The Qi family had long finished lunch.
At that moment, Qi Ziyue and Qi Ning’an were playing games in the courtyard, while not far away Mother Qi was pickling cabbage and radishes.
Farther away, Haohao and Ruirui were playing marbles with the children from the second branch of the family.
The moment they saw their mother return, Haohao and Ruirui rushed over and grabbed her hands, asking eagerly whether she had bought the clothes.
Sister-in-law Qi pushed her two sons aside and walked straight over to her sister-in-law, asking where she had bought An’an’s clothes.
Qi Ziyue looked at her for a moment before finally realizing she meant the small down jacket An’an wore underneath.
She smiled at her sister-in-law, pointed outside, and quietly said, “Sister-in-law, I’ll tell you tonight. It’s not convenient to talk now.”
Sister-in-law Qi nodded and then praised, “An’an behaved much better today.”
After saying that, she took out the fruit candies she had bought and began handing them around.
But when she tried giving Qi Ning’an a candy, he didn’t reach out to take it. Afraid her sister-in-law would feel awkward, Qi Ziyue quickly accepted the candy on his behalf and told the little boy to say thank you.
“Say thank you to Auntie.”
Qi Ning’an didn’t want to speak.
Qi Ziyue simply stared at him, her eyes instantly filling with tears as though she might cry at any second.
Qi Ning’an looked at her for a moment. In the end, for reasons unknown, he suddenly turned to Sister-in-law Qi and quietly said two words:
“Thank you.”
Sister-in-law Qi was delighted beyond measure. She gave Qi Ziyue a thumbs-up. “This is the first time I’ve ever heard him say thank you. Yueyue, you really taught him well.”
The moment his aunt finished speaking, Qi Ning’an immediately slipped away.
Qi Ziyue smiled at her sister-in-law again and reminded her about visiting later that night before calling out for Qi Ning’an to stop walking away.
After dinner that evening, Second Sister-in-law Qi glanced at her younger sister-in-law several times. She still hadn’t given up on the Lin family match.
But her younger sister-in-law’s combat ability was simply too strong, and the whole family spoiled her too much. In the end, all the words she wanted to say stayed swallowed inside.
Qi Ziyue ate dinner without the slightest psychological burden.
As usual after dinner, she carried a bowl of potato and sweet potato porridge along with a serving of stir-fried eggplant back to the room for the little boy.
It was already dark outside. Seeing Qi Ning’an obediently eating dinner, she crouched down and asked, “An’an, Mommy’s going to Auntie’s courtyard later. Do you want to come?”
Qi Ning’an glanced at her without speaking, but he didn’t refuse either.
Qi Ziyue simply took that as agreement.
As soon as the little boy finished eating, Qi Ziyue came out carrying a large black bag. She also handed a smaller bag to Qi Ning’an.
When he looked up at her, Qi Ziyue said matter-of-factly, “You’re the pillar of our family. Mommy can’t carry everything herself, so I need your help.”
The little boy looked at her for a moment. In the end, without saying a word, he accepted the small bag and silently followed behind her.
When mother and son stepped out, the main house and the west side of the front courtyard were both quiet. The two passed through the corridor and headed toward the eastern courtyard, where the eldest branch of the Qi family lived.
When Qi Ziyue arrived, Brother Qi was still discussing matters in the main room. She listened outside the wooden window for a while, and after confirming he wasn’t there, she prepared to lead the little boy inside.
But this time, no matter what, the little boy refused to enter. Left with no choice, Qi Ziyue carried both bags inside herself.
As the saying went, gifts should always be delivered under the cover of night—especially when the eldest brother wasn’t home. Wasn’t this the perfect timing?
When Qi Ziyue entered, she saw her sister-in-law washing the faces of the two boys. She immediately said, “Sister-in-law, that clothing style should be newly released. Since it’s so new, it’s probably impossible to buy right now.”
Sister-in-law Qi was in the small kitchen pouring water for the children to wash their feet. Hearing her voice, she stood up and asked, “Then where exactly did you buy it?”
Qi Ziyue silently mouthed the words “black market” to her before saying aloud, “Sister-in-law, don’t tell Big Brother, or he’ll scold me to death. I brought some things for Haohao and Ruirui. They’re on the table in the sitting room. Just put them away later.”
The moment Haohao and Ruirui heard their aunt had brought gifts, they immediately became excited and wanted to run out to see her.
But the second they stood up, their mother smacked each of them on the head, and they no longer dared to run around.
Sister-in-law Qi hurriedly said, “You only came to chat, why bring gifts? If your brother sees this later, won’t he scold us to death?”
As she spoke, she tried to get up and return the items.
But Qi Ziyue had already put everything down and run off. Only after reaching the courtyard did she turn back and add, “Sister-in-law, I bought too much stuff when I was shopping. Just explain it to Big Brother for me.”
Then she immediately fled, not giving her sister-in-law the slightest chance to refuse.
Watching her younger sister-in-law run off faster than a rabbit, Sister-in-law Qi muttered in confusion, “What exactly did she buy too much of? So mysterious.”
But since the person had already disappeared, she couldn’t exactly chase after her, so she returned to the sitting room to look.
There she found two enormous bags on the round table.
The bags were nearly half a person’s height.
At first, Sister-in-law Qi had intended not to accept anything and planned to return them later.
But the moment she opened one of the black bags, she was stunned.
What kind of clothes were these? They were incredibly warm and beautiful.
The other bag even contained two pairs of white shoes. She touched them and clicked her tongue in amazement. “Where did she buy these? The style and quality are unbelievably good.”
She was still muttering to herself when Haohao and Ruirui came running over, hoping to see their aunt sooner. Though they missed her, they immediately spotted the two padded jackets, two military coats, and two pairs of shoes.
“Awooo!”
The brothers instantly hugged the clothes and kissed them repeatedly.
“Wow, Mom! Did Auntie buy these for us? We have some too? There are military coats too?!”
Ruirui moved the fastest. Without waiting for his mother’s permission, he immediately pulled on the child-sized down jacket. The moment he wore it, he howled happily, “Wow, it’s so warm! And the size is exactly the same as what I usually wear!”
Sister-in-law Qi told him to quickly take it off.
Not only did Qi Ningrui refuse, he even hurriedly put on the smaller military coat and then grabbed the smaller pair of shoes and put them on too. Everything fit perfectly.
He no longer cared how fiercely his mother glared at him. Even if he died, he wasn’t taking them off.
He even encouraged his older brother, “Bro, the size is perfect! Hurry and try yours too!”
Qi Ninghao was older, but the clothes were simply too tempting. He pitifully called out, “Mom…”
Looking at how much her sons loved the clothes, Sister-in-law Qi’s head ached terribly. But she still didn’t dare casually accept such expensive gifts, so she told her younger son to take them off so they could be returned.
“Mom! Mom! I don’t want to!”
The moment she said she was returning them, even Haohao panicked. The two brothers clung to their mother’s legs and cried, working together to stop her from leaving.
Sister-in-law Qi felt an enormous headache coming on.
Rubbing her forehead, she finally lowered her head and asked, “The size really fits perfectly?”
Qi Ningrui nodded furiously.
Qi Ninghao also hurriedly changed into his own set. Sure enough, it fit perfectly, as though it had been tailored exactly for him.
Watching them, Sister-in-law Qi finally laughed helplessly. “That girl… no wonder she asked me for their sizes earlier. So she planned to buy these for you from the beginning.”
She thought to herself: How does my little sister-in-law look anything like someone who used to be insane?
Looks like she’d have to help her with that matter after all.
Deep in thought, Sister-in-law Qi wondered how she could persuade her husband. This really was a difficult problem.
It was nearly bedtime when Brother Qi finally returned from the main house.
As soon as he came back, he heard that his younger sister had bought each of the boys a set of especially warm clothes, along with military coats and shoes like the ones An’an wore.
Looking at her husband reading a book, Sister-in-law Qi said, “I don’t know what material those clothes are made of. They feel soft and fluffy, like there’s fur inside. They’re even warmer than cotton clothes.”
“And those shoes too. Little sister even sewed cloth around the outside, but just like your son said, they’re actually waterproof. There’s fur inside too, very warm. Your two sons refused to take them off after putting them on, so I had no choice but to accept them.”
While organizing the clothes her husband and children would wear the next day, she added, “And the sizes fit perfectly. Little sister claimed she accidentally bought too many. What do you think?”
Brother Qi pressed down on the poetry book in his hand and asked in surprise, “You mean little sister asked for their sizes in advance?”
Sister-in-law Qi quickly nodded.
Brother Qi sighed. “Those clothes probably weren’t cheap. Tomorrow, give little sister some money to make up for it.”
“How much?”
“Just give whatever seems appropriate. No need to do it immediately. See what she wants and buy her something instead.”
Sister-in-law Qi thought to herself that what little sister wanted most right now was probably getting An’an registered in the household records. Wasn’t that the very thing they kept refusing?
But naturally, she couldn’t say that directly to her husband.
After putting away the clothes, Sister-in-law Qi began rubbing clam oil cream onto her hands. She even prepared some for her husband, but he refused.
After thinking for a moment, she casually began talking. “Ziheng, that day little sister said having a child might drag the whole family down.”
Without even lifting his head, Brother Qi replied, “Father and I already know about that. She doesn’t need to worry.”
Sister-in-law Qi closed the tin of cream. For the first time, dissatisfaction appeared on her face. “Right, no need to worry. Even if the whole family gets sent down to the countryside, it’s apparently fine, isn’t it?”
Brother Qi nodded.
Her expression changed instantly. “Sure, maybe it doesn’t matter to you if you get sent down. But what about the two children? How difficult would life become if they were sent to a farm?”
Only then did Brother Qi finally look up at her, though he remained silent.
Sister-in-law Qi repeated Qi Ziyue’s earlier words. “Changheng, I’m not trying to criticize you, but while thinking about little sister, shouldn’t you also think about your two sons?”
“She said that if every other family sends someone to the countryside as educated youth while our family sends no one, people will inevitably gossip. When that happens, the whole family might get implicated and sent down together.”
“If we’re really sent down, the children’s education will definitely suffer. Their futures would be ruined.”
Brother Qi frowned. “Little sister told you all this?”
“Yes. And she already suggested a solution. She said she could take An’an to the countryside as an educated youth. She said the family took care of her for years while she was insane, and now she wants to contribute something for the family too.”
Sister-in-law Qi understood her husband well, so she added softly, “Even when she was insane, she refused to let us send An’an away. How could she possibly agree to abandon him now? Wouldn’t that just drive her mad again?”
“In my opinion, ever since she regained her senses, she hasn’t had any extravagant wishes. She just wants to raise An’an properly. I know we all want what’s best for her, which is why we want her to marry, but if we truly care about someone, shouldn’t we at least ask what they want?”
Brother Qi glanced at her but said nothing.
Sister-in-law Qi added one final sentence. “I think no matter what little sister wants to do, as long as she’s healthy and sane, isn’t that already better than before?”
That statement finally moved Brother Qi.
After thinking for a while, he sighed repeatedly. “But how could little sister possibly endure life in the countryside?”
“You should first persuade Father to register An’an’s household status. Then we can contact one of Father’s former students and arrange things for her. Going to the countryside would basically just be taking refuge. We can give her extra money, ration coupons, and food coupons. If she doesn’t need to rely on earning work points to survive, wouldn’t that actually be safer than staying in the city?”
As she spoke, she gently massaged her husband’s shoulders.
Like a truly virtuous wife, every word she said landed directly in Brother Qi’s heart.
Closing his eyes, Brother Qi thought for a long time before finally saying, “In the next couple of days, I’ll speak to Father about arranging household registration for little sister and An’an. But honestly, neither Father nor I really want her going to the countryside. We still hope she’ll marry someone and stay in the city.”
Sister-in-law Qi: ?
She finally let out a long breath of relief.
She thought to herself that marriage might actually be acceptable—as long as An’an’s household registration issue could finally be resolved.
Still worried, she asked, “Then… will An’an’s registration really go through?”
Brother Qi rubbed his temples and finally replied, “I’ll speak to Father. In the end, this matter still depends on whether Father agrees.”
Sister-in-law Qi silently thought: With Father-in-law being so stubborn… can little sister really succeed in the end?