Meanwhile, more and more neighbors were being suspended from work pending reassignment.
The effect of this political storm on the Qi family was that all the Qi children stopped attending school. Eldest Sister-in-law even told the children to avoid visiting other people and stay home as much as possible.
Perhaps because the Lin family was protecting them, the storm had not yet reached the Qi family itself.
But after going out several times and observing the situation, Qi Ziyue decided she had to speed things up. She could not wait any longer.
So one day, after all the men in the family had gone to work, Qi Ziyue brought Little Bean over to Mother Qi’s room.
Winter was approaching. Jiangcheng’s winters were always bitterly cold, and now that the New Year was near, snow had begun drifting steadily outside, making the weather even harsher.
Mother Qi was taking out everyone’s old clothes and restuffing them with cotton to sew padded winter jackets.
When Qi Ziyue entered, both she and Little Bean were covered in snowflakes.
The moment Mother Qi saw her daughter, she quickly set down the jacket she was sewing. While brushing the snow off Qi Ziyue’s clothes, she asked anxiously,
“It’s freezing outside. Why are you wandering around? Is your charcoal fire not warm enough? Mom will get you more charcoal.”
In the city, people relied on coal and charcoal fires to survive the winter. Without them, no one could endure the cold.
Families with better conditions even used coal-burning heaters, but because the times were politically sensitive, the Qi family had not bought one and instead used ordinary charcoal braziers like everyone else.
Qi Ziyue first removed Little Bean’s coat and shook the snow off. After warming the coat by the brazier until it was dry, she helped him put it back on.
“Mom, I’m fine. I just wanted to come chat with you.”
As she spoke, she pulled over a small stool for Little Bean to sit by the brazier and warm himself.
She also removed her own coat, brushed off the snow, and sat by the fire drying it. Seeing that Mother Qi had stopped stuffing cotton into the jacket, she simply draped her coat over herself and joined her mother in sewing.
Mother Qi told her she didn’t need to help, but Qi Ziyue only said she wanted to spend more time with her. Mother Qi let her be.
Mother Qi was a clever woman, so she soon asked whether something was troubling her.
After thinking for a while, Qi Ziyue finally said,
“Mom, the main reason I came today is to talk about An’an.”
“An’an? What about him?”
Mother Qi stopped working and glanced at her grandson. Only then did she notice that the child was unusually clean today, completely different from before.
Qi Ziyue said softly,
“Mom, I want you to talk to Dad about registering An’an’s household registration.”
The moment those words came out, Mother Qi fell silent.
Several times she looked up at her daughter as though wanting to say something, but in the end she only sighed heavily.
“Your father definitely won’t agree to that.”
“I know.”
Qi Ziyue smiled as she massaged her mother’s shoulders.
“Mom, I came to talk about something else too.”
“What is it?”
Hearing that it was not solely about the hukou registration, Mother Qi relaxed slightly.
Qi Ziyue leaned closer and lowered her voice.
“Mom, wasn’t I insane for several years? Right before I recovered this time, I kept having the same dream over and over. The repeated dream slowly woke me up… and when I regained consciousness, I was already inside the fire.”
Mother Qi immediately exclaimed that her daughter was lucky to survive.
Qi Ziyue smiled faintly.
“Mom, in the dream, I died in that fire.”
Mother Qi gasped, the sound dying on her lips. Her eyes widened in complete shock.
“What happened after that?” she asked hurriedly.
Qi Ziyue continued,
“After that fire, it wasn’t just me who died. Our entire family died in the blaze — you and Dad, Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law, Haohao and Ruirui too. In the original future, the only survivors were An’an and Second Brother’s family, because they happened to be visiting Mother’s home that day.”
“Later, Second Brother and An’an turned against each other. Nephew and uncle became mortal enemies. Afterward, Second Brother’s family was sent down to the countryside, and their ending was miserable.”
“Ah…”
This time Mother Qi was completely stunned. She covered her mouth, trembling so badly she could barely speak.
After a long moment, she finally asked shakily,
“Was it real?”
Qi Ziyue nodded.
“Yes.”
That single “yes” struck like a thunderbolt.
Not only did Mother Qi tremble speechlessly, but even Qi Ning’an suddenly lifted his head and stared fixedly at his mother. His dark eyes locked onto her, and even his small hands trembled slightly.
After calming herself for a while, Mother Qi finally patted her daughter’s shoulder.
“Fortunately, it was only a dream.”
Qi Ziyue shook her head.
“Mom, it wasn’t just a dream. If An’an’s crying hadn’t woken me that day, we really would have died.”
Mother Qi fell silent.
Qi Ziyue continued,
“And in the dream, An’an became incredibly successful in the future. He was the most accomplished person in our entire family.”
That statement finally made Mother Qi raise her head again and look at her grandson.
She simply could not understand how this child could possibly become someone extraordinary.
“You know Second Brother’s personality. He’s fundamentally a good person, but Second Sister-in-law… you know her too well. She wastes money, and Second Brother is afraid of his wife. He’s not particularly capable himself. After being sent down to the countryside without any family support, his future prospects became extremely limited. Even his marriage eventually fell apart.”
As Qi Ziyue spoke, Mother Qi sank deeper into thought.
Of her three children, the eldest was clearly the most capable. The second son could manage household matters, but in terms of real achievement, he truly could not compare.
What puzzled Mother Qi even more was how this little grandson could surpass his uncles in the future.
She had never liked the child much. Partly because of resentment toward his unknown father, and partly because the boy had always been withdrawn, silent, and strange.
She simply could not understand it.
But at that moment, Qi Ziyue pulled Little Bean to his feet and rolled up his sleeves, revealing the scars and healing wounds on his thin arms.
“Mom, these injuries probably happened while I was insane. He must have been holding onto me while I hurt him.”
The child’s arms were already pitifully thin. Having grown up poorly fed, there was almost nothing but skin and bone left.
Even though Mother Qi hated the child’s father, seeing the wounds now filled her with guilt for the first time.
Qi Ziyue continued quietly,
“Mom, I was insane back then. You all hated him too, and he was often locked away. His childhood was practically ruined. Even when he escaped outside occasionally, he was only bullied. The family never accepted him.”
“His biological father is unknown, and his only remaining relatives never gave him warmth. Tell me, how could a child raised like that not grow crooked eventually?”
“That’s why, in the dream, your descendants turned against one another, and in the end people died or were left wounded.”
The more Qi Ziyue spoke, the deeper Mother Qi’s frown became.
Finally, she sighed heavily and pulled the child’s sleeves back down.
“These years… we really did place our hatred onto him.”
Throughout the conversation, Qi Ning’an had listened silently, as though they were discussing someone else entirely.
But when his grandmother said those words, he finally looked up at her once before lowering his head again.
Qi Ziyue gently patted his head reassuringly before turning back to Mother Qi.
“Mom, I don’t blame any of you. I was the one who wronged the family first.”
Then she added seriously,
“But our family’s future is dangerous. We have to prepare in advance so someone can eventually support the family.”
“According to the dream, An’an’s future achievements will surpass even Dad’s and Eldest Brother’s. We should raise him properly.”
Mother Qi looked at her grandson, still conflicted.
“But…”
She wanted to say that accepting the child herself was one thing, but how could anyone persuade her stubborn husband?
Qi Ziyue continued,
“Mom, I’ve forgotten most things about An’an’s father because of the years I was ill. But he was probably an important person. During this political turmoil, he likely encountered trouble himself and therefore couldn’t come find us.”
Mother Qi suddenly looked up sharply.
“You’re telling the truth?”
The man the Qi family had hated for years — her daughter had never once been willing to discuss him before.
Now that she suddenly mentioned him, Mother Qi’s eyes reddened instantly.
Qi Ziyue shook her head.
“I don’t know the details. But logically speaking, someone like him couldn’t possibly avoid getting caught in this kind of political storm.”
Mother Qi fell silent again.
“You really don’t remember anything?” she asked.
Qi Ziyue nodded, then smiled faintly.
“But he’ll definitely rise again someday. With An’an here, he’ll eventually help our family in one way or another. Though… I vaguely remember why we separated.”
Mother Qi instantly grabbed her arm.
“What? Do you remember where he’s from?”
Her grip hurt badly.
Immediately, Qi Ning’an stood up and seized his mother’s arm, trying to pull her away. His dark eyes stared coldly at his grandmother, frighteningly intense.
Only then did Mother Qi realize she had gripped her daughter too hard. She hurriedly released her and asked anxiously whether she had hurt her.
Qi Ziyue patted Little Bean’s arm soothingly until he let go, then explained,
“Mom, I don’t remember where he’s from, but it should still be possible to investigate.”
“What do you mean?”
Mother Qi looked at her suspiciously. Why was her daughter suddenly willing to talk now?
Qi Ziyue said slowly,
“I only remember that our relationship was good in the beginning. He was even preparing to visit our family and discuss marriage.”
“But after he went back to investigate something, he claimed someone in our family had harmed one of his relatives. After that, he turned against me and left in anger.”
Mother Qi trembled furiously.
“Nonsense! Our family has never killed anyone! This is a lawful society. Your father and brothers are teachers — how could they ever do such a thing?”
Qi Ziyue shook her head.
“Mom, I don’t know the details either. I can’t remember much. From what he implied, one of his relatives died because of someone in our family… but it may also have been an accident caused by wartime conflict or political struggles. That’s one reason I never wanted to talk about it.”
Mother Qi sank into deep thought.
After a while she asked,
“How old was that relative? How old was he?”
Qi Ziyue answered,
“I never asked his age. But judging by the timeline, the incident probably happened more than thirty years ago.”
“That would have been during the Anti-Japanese War.”
That made things easier to understand.
War always created tragedies and unavoidable circumstances.
Mother Qi was so angry her chest hurt.
“Things from that era may not even be remembered clearly by your father anymore. He went to war too. But how could the sins of the previous generation be forced onto you? And because of it, you ended up bearing a child alone before marriage…”
Her eyes reddened again, her voice choking with emotion.
Qi Ziyue waited for her mother to calm down before gently patting her back.
“Mom, maybe he never knew An’an existed.”
Mother Qi froze.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
Qi Ziyue helped her sit down again and resumed massaging her shoulders with a smile.
“Mom, I was mentally ill for years. My body has suffered damage. I may not be able to have children easily in the future. I hope you can truly accept An’an.”
Mother Qi immediately looked up.
“Your health was damaged?”
“The doctor said it shouldn’t affect things too badly, but… you know how these things are.”
Seeing her mother becoming upset again, Qi Ziyue quickly changed the subject.
“Mom, I truly plan to raise An’an properly. He’s very smart. I brought him here today specifically to show you.”
As she spoke, she took out the notebook of numbers the child had written.
“He wrote all of these?”
Mother Qi was stunned.
No one had ever taught the child before.
“Yes! I was shocked too. An’an is incredibly gifted. He can already do addition and subtraction within ten. I don’t even know where he learned it from. He’s unbelievably smart.”
Then Qi Ziyue called Little Bean over and asked him to recite a poem for his grandmother.
Qi Ning’an clearly did not want to.
So Qi Ziyue crouched down beside him, her eyes instantly reddening as tears began falling dramatically.
Qi Ning’an stared at her for a moment before finally reciting:
“My old friend bids farewell at Yellow Crane Tower,Amid March blossoms he journeys down to Yangzhou.The lone sail’s distant shadow fades into blue emptiness,Leaving only the Yangtze flowing to the horizon.”
— Li Bai
Mother Qi was utterly dumbfounded.
“He… he can already recite poetry?”
The Qi family were educators.
They might not care much about other talents, but the ability to study and recite poetry was practically an instant winning move.
At once, Mother Qi accepted this grandson emotionally.
“But… wasn’t he unable to speak before?”
Qi Ziyue explained,
“I started teaching him after I woke up. He’s been improving more and more every day.”
Mother Qi was deeply shaken.
She had never imagined this grandson could actually be smarter than her own grandchildren.
She was completely conflicted.
But Qi Ziyue understood exactly what her mother was thinking.
After helping her sit down again, she continued:
“The outside environment is dangerous now. That’s why I want to go to the countryside as an educated youth.”
“That way, first, our family won’t be accused of refusing to send anyone down and reported politically. Second, I can raise An’an there peacefully and cultivate him properly. Once this movement ends, he’ll be able to study openly in the future.”
“But how could you possibly survive in the countryside?” Mother Qi asked worriedly.
Qi Ziyue immediately began flattering her shamelessly.
“Well… that depends on whether Mom, Dad, and my brothers love me enough.”
“How could we not love you? It’s precisely because we love you that we can’t bear to let you suffer.”
Qi Ziyue grinned.
“Then when the time comes, Mom can send me more money and ration coupons, and I’ll survive just fine.”
Mother Qi struggled internally for a long time.
Deep down, she knew her daughter was right, but she simply could not bear the thought of her suffering in the countryside.
Qi Ziyue shook her mother’s arm like a spoiled child.
“Mom, doesn’t it sound like a good plan?”
“I still need to discuss it with your father. But first, we should probably settle An’an’s household registration.”
After being worn down by her daughter’s persuasion, Mother Qi’s heart finally softened.
No matter what path they chose, since her daughter wanted it so badly, registering the child’s hukou came first.
Qi Ziyue immediately seized the opportunity and poured out another stream of sweet talk before pitifully adding:
“But Mom, my brothers both raise children with their wives. I’m raising An’an alone. I might not manage well.”
Mother Qi glared at her.
“Wasn’t it you who insisted you wouldn’t marry and could raise him yourself?”
Qi Ziyue giggled sheepishly, looking utterly pitiful and sweet enough to charm the stars from the sky.
“But Mom… I’ve been mentally ill for years. I don’t have a job. If I go to the countryside without money, how am I supposed to raise An’an?”
Mother Qi tapped her on the forehead.
Then she told her to wait and went back to her room. Soon she returned with a cloth bag filled with money and ration coupons.
In front of her daughter, she counted out twenty ten-yuan bills — two hundred yuan total.
This was the 1970s.
For an ordinary family, that amount could cover an entire year’s living expenses.
She also handed over the cloth bundle itself.
“Hide it carefully. I still don’t necessarily want you going to the countryside, but I’ll talk to your father first and get the child’s registration settled.”
As she spoke, Mother Qi secretly slipped a jade bracelet and a pair of jade earrings into her daughter’s hands, solemnly telling her to hide them well and never let anyone discover them.
Qi Ziyue was stunned.
She had only come hoping Mother Qi would help register Little Bean’s hukou.
She had never expected to receive so many things.
Warmth flooded her heart instantly.
For a moment, she almost wanted to abandon the idea of going to the countryside. With such unconditional love from her family, she suddenly could not bear to leave them.
But after thinking about the dangerous political climate outside, she pinched her own thigh hard and reminded herself:
“Compassion cannot command armies, and sentiment cannot protect wealth.”
She could not allow emotions to hold her back.
Otherwise, the entire family would fall into ruin.
This matter had to be handled quickly.
Before disaster arrived.