“Mom, look—this little rascal actually listens to Yaya. He settled right down.”
Meng Fang found it absolutely fascinating. The baby was still so small and not even fully formed, yet it seemed to truly understand what people said—and it could even distinguish different voices.
During her time off, she hadn’t been idle. She’d borrowed plenty of books and the latest journals from the medical university library.
There was actually research abroad on this very subject—studies showing at what months a child develops eyesight, and at what months hearing.
Lately, she’d gained so much insight. After discussing it with Yue Mingli, she’d decided that once she had the baby and recovered, she’d go back to pursue her master’s degree.
This idea had actually come to her during that conversation with Yaya the other day.
She’d been reading a journal when Yaya came in with some fruit and asked what she was reading. Meng Fang gave her a rough explanation.
To her surprise, the little girl had her own opinions and spoke quite eloquently about it.
Later, she couldn’t quite remember exactly what they’d said, but she did recall Yaya mentioning that doctors bear a heavy responsibility in saving lives, and that they should keep up with the times and stay current with the latest medical knowledge.
They needed both experience and knowledge.
Those weren’t the little girl’s exact words, of course, but the general idea was there. After thinking it over carefully, Meng Fang felt it made a lot of sense.
Sometimes, adults really ought to listen to what children have to say.
“Our Yaya is going to be such a wonderful big sister.”
Wan Jiayin ruffled Yaya’s hair: “Yaya will love her little brother when he’s small, and when he grows up, he’ll protect Yaya.”
“Grandma, with me as his example, my little brother will be just as well-behaved as I am.”
Yaya rubbed her little face against Wan Jiayin’s hand, and Wan Jiayin’s heart melted completely. She smiled and nodded: “Yes—your little brother will grow up to be just as sensible as our big precious girl.”
“Mom, that Malai Di bullied Yaya like that—are we really just letting this slide?”
Just thinking about it made Meng Fang angry: “What’s her deal anyway? Last time she came over and started yelling at Zhiqiu for no reason because of Xu Wan, and now she’s picking on Yaya. Neither Zhiqiu nor Yaya has ever done anything to her.”
“Xu Wan’s already married to Chen Can. She spends every day watching him like a hawk, terrified he might get involved with another woman. Why can’t she just leave Zhiqiu alone? That thing between Zhiqiu and Chen Can was ages ago.”
“She knows exactly what kind of man Chen Can is—that flirtatious, womanizing nature of his. Since she insisted on marrying him, she should’ve known what she was signing up for. She actually thought Chen Can would change for her out of love?”
“Even if Chen Can truly loved her, he wouldn’t change his ways. And let’s be real—everyone knows why Chen Can married her in the first place.”
“By the time of the wedding, her belly was already too big to hide. And she actually felt proud of it.”
Not long after Ye Zhiqiu left for Jiangning, Chen Can divorced Shen Liya and married Xu Wan.
Their wedding was rather shabby—no big celebration, just a meal with relatives from both families.
First, because the Xu family was ashamed of Xu Wan. Second, because everyone already knew what Chen Can had done.
The Xu family and Tan Yingjun each had to fork over a hefty sum to cover that hole he’d dug himself into. Xu Changkong had to swallow his pride and pull every string he could just to keep Chen Can out of prison.
That said, Chen Can could no longer stay in the military. He was transferred to a civilian post, and Tan Yingjun called in a favor from one of Chen Can’s father’s old comrades to get him a job driving for a postal office leader.
By all accounts, after everything that had happened, Chen Can should’ve been grateful to Xu Wan and settled down to live a proper life with her.
But he didn’t like Xu Wan at all. He kept thinking about Ye Zhiqiu.
Every time he thought of her, he found Xu Wan even more unbearable—everything about her rubbed him the wrong way.
Within just a few days at the post office, he’d already gotten close to a young woman who bore a slight resemblance to Ye Zhiqiu.
When Xu Wan found out, she stormed over to his workplace, heavily pregnant, and went after the young woman—cursing and hitting her. Then she had a huge fight with Chen Can. But it took him all of two sentences to smooth things over and calm her down.
Xu Xun wanted to teach Chen Can a lesson, but Xu Wan actually took Chen Can’s side and told her brother he was meddling where he shouldn’t.
Xu Xun was utterly disappointed in her and declared that he’d never get involved in her affairs again.
Xu Wan believed Chen Can’s words, yet she didn’t—as if, whenever he sweet-talked her, she felt he truly loved her, but deep down she knew he couldn’t let go of Ye Zhiqiu.
As for Malai Di, she was the type who was swayed by money. The last time, Xu Wan had given her a little over ten yuan, and that was all it took for her to come after Ye Zhiqiu.
This latest incident had something to do with Xu Wan, but not much.
It was more that Malai Di had run into Xu Wan earlier. Last time, word had spread that Malai Di had cursed at Ye Zhiqiu, and Ding Jincai had given her an earful. The neighbors had also started looking down on her. So she held a grudge against Ye Zhiqiu for it.
A few words from Xu Wan were enough to make Malai Di hate Ye Zhiqiu even more. She felt inferior for being from the countryside and was jealous of Ye Zhiqiu’s good looks, so she wanted to drag her name through the mud.
With Ye Zhiqiu away, she turned her venom on Yaya.
You could tell from her name alone what kind of family she came from. She was also extremely patriarchal and couldn’t understand why, when Ye Zhiqiu had given birth to a daughter, her in-laws still treated her so well—spoiling Yaya rotten, making her the number one little princess of the compound, with endless good food and drinks every single day.
Her own son hadn’t even gotten to enjoy such things. Why should a little girl get to have so much?
“There’s no point in us stooping to her level. Ding Jincai will handle her.”
Wan Jiayin had seen plenty of women like that—ignorant, deeply poisoned by feudal thinking, and above all, nasty and stupid to the core.
“You get tangled up with someone like that, and you end up miserable too. Just ignore her. Her life is bound to be a mess later on.”
Since Wan Jiayin had said so, Meng Fang didn’t press further.
When Ye Zhiqiu called and Yaya learned that her mom was coming home soon, she was absolutely overjoyed.
Over in Jiangning, Han Siyang saw Ye Zhiqiu and Fan Xue off at the train station.
The three of them shared hugs. Han Siyang was reluctant to see them leave: “Won’t see you again until after the New Year.”
“After the New Year isn’t that far off.”
Fan Xue laughed: “When we come back, we’ll bring you some Guojing specialties.”
“Sounds good.”
On the train, while tidying her things, Ye Zhiqiu found a slip of paper.
Fan Xue noticed her freeze and came over to look: “What’s that?”
“I don’t know who left it for me.”
Ye Zhiqiu handed the note to Fan Xue. On it were written the words: “Be careful! Wen Shengnan has been in your room!”
Fan Xue frowned, annoyed: “Wen Shengnan went into our room? When?”
Ye Zhiqiu guessed: “Probably while we were out these past two days.”
Fan Xue: “What did she do in there? She must’ve done something!”
“Not sure.”
Ye Zhiqiu confirmed: “Nothing’s missing, and nothing’s been damaged.”
She’d checked carefully while packing.
“Zhiqiu, you should still keep your guard up. Be extra careful.”
Ye Zhiqiu nodded: “I will.”
They’d bought sleeper tickets—one good night’s sleep, and they’d be back in Guojing.
