Chapter 42:

Yu Shunwen was at home when Yu Xiang’an told him about the incident. His expression immediately turned serious. If it had been a false alarm, that would have been one thing, but if it were true and they didn’t take it seriously, the consequences would be unpredictable.

If something were to happen to the female educated youth here, he, as the brigade leader, would bear the blame.

“This year, three female educated youth didn’t go home for the New Year. I’ll go talk to them first to understand the situation.”

Yu Shunwen didn’t waste any time and immediately went to find them. Yu Xiang’an followed along.

Yu Shunwen didn’t mention whether there were any suspicious individuals. Instead, he asked them, “Are you used to spending the New Year here? If anything seems off, let me know right away. I’ll do my best to help. How do you feel about the New Year atmosphere here?”

After circling around the topic, none of them noticed anything unusual.

However, among the three female educated youth who stayed behind, Ruan Chenxi came from the wealthiest family and was also the most attractive. It wasn’t surprising that someone might have taken an interest in her. So, even though there was no concrete evidence—just her word—Yu Shunwen still decided to arrange for her to stay with a reliable family for a while to see how things developed.

As the brigade leader, his intervention carried weight.

Publicly, he explained that Ruan Chenxi had hit it off with a particular family, and since they had a spare room, she would stay with them for a while. Officially, rent and the possibility of being watched couldn’t be mentioned.

Yu Shunwen quietly heightened his vigilance. If there really was someone like that in their midst, they’d need to increase patrols. The New Year period was already chaotic, with many people coming and going, making it easier for things to go wrong.

Having more people keep an eye out and paying extra attention to those who seemed suspicious would help ensure safety.

Ruan Chenxi was satisfied with the outcome. She didn’t want to wait another moment and insisted on moving in immediately.

The family she was moving in with consisted of an elderly couple and their grandchildren. There was no need to worry about propriety. Though they seemed vulnerable at first glance, their sons lived nearby. The grandchildren they were raising belonged to their youngest son, who had passed away. To avoid the children being labeled as raised by their uncles, the grandparents took them in themselves while the uncles lived close by to help. This arrangement eased the burden on the children’s future while ensuring their safety. With four sons living nearby, any trouble could be quickly addressed with a shout.

Ruan Chenxi had quite a few belongings, and Yu Xiang’an helped carry some of them. Before she left, Ruan Chenxi gave her two chocolates as a thank-you.

Chocolates were a rare treat at the time—so rare that even the county supply and marketing cooperative didn’t stock them. Judging by the packaging, Yu Xiang’an guessed they were quite expensive.

She accepted them, planning to give them to Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie. They had never tasted chocolate before.

By the time the matter was resolved, it was already late. They packed up and headed back. It was the last day of her New Year break, and she’d return to work the next day. Yu Xiangyan and Wen Ruzhen were also preparing to pack their things and return to the countryside.

Before leaving, Yu Xiangyan had a talk with Yu Qingshan.

Yu Xiangyan said, “I’ve looked into it, and things are pretty chaotic. Things have quieted down during the New Year, but if this continues, I’ll bring them back less often.”

At the end of the day, gossip was a powerful thing. It wouldn’t just affect his siblings at home—it would also impact Wen Ruzhen. If they didn’t come back, neither side would have to worry as much. This time, aside from visiting her grandmother, Wen Ruzhen hadn’t stepped out at all. When guests came to pay New Year’s visits, she mostly stayed out of sight.

It helped that Wen Ruzhen’s previous social circle was completely different from theirs, so no one had guessed her background.

Yu Qingshan nodded in understanding.

Both siblings were good-looking and not particularly strong. Until his younger brother grew up, Yu Xiangyan probably wouldn’t dare to let them return alone. Like this time, a trip home took ten days to half a month. If something really happened, it’d be too late by the time they found out.

Still, hearing this, Yu Qingshan fell silent for a moment. Yu Xiangyan had only recently married and didn’t have children yet. Once he did, it’d be hard for him to leave them behind when they were still young.

With a long sigh, Yu Qingshan said nothing more.

Yu Xiangyan looked guilty. “I’m not being filial, but I believe this situation won’t last forever.”

This led to another question. Yu Qingshan looked at him and asked, “If one day, this situation changes, do you think you two can still be husband and wife?”

Yu Xiangyan’s expression went blank for a moment. After a long silence, he said in a subdued voice, “Dad… I don’t know.”

Truthfully, he wasn’t confident. The most he could do was treat her as well as possible. If that day ever came and she became a young lady again, wanting to leave him… he’d have to let her go.

If Yu Xiang’an knew what he was thinking, she’d sigh and call him a hopeless romantic.

“Let her go”?

Those three words were light yet carried immense weight.

His affection for her was so obvious, yet he was willing to set her free. She wouldn’t know how else to describe him besides a hopeless romantic.

People like him were rare.

Yu Qingshan sighed again. “As long as you can accept it.” He was just afraid Yu Xiangyan wouldn’t be able to move on. His son usually seemed reliable, but he had a stubborn streak. Back then, he’d almost gone down the wrong path. After that, Yu Qingshan lowered his expectations. As long as he didn’t do anything illegal or immoral, he could do as he pleased. He had hands and feet—he could earn his own keep. As his father, Yu Qingshan was still young enough to work and didn’t need his support.

“Thanks, Dad.” Yu Xiangyan knew that in most families, if a son said he’d visit less because of his wife, he’d be called ungrateful—accused of forgetting his parents once he had a wife. Some might’ve even opposed his marriage to Wen Ruzhen from the start. But his father was open-minded—truly open-minded. Having a father like this made him feel like he must’ve saved many lives in a past life to be reborn as his son.

On the night before their departure, the whole family gathered around the table for a hearty meal. They talked about the future, sharing stories of their lives in the countryside—new friends they’d made, new skills they’d learned…

That night, they stayed up late talking.

Yu Xiang’an didn’t know they’d sneaked out again. It wasn’t until after they boarded the train that she heard someone else had been beaten—a man surnamed Zhou who worked at the meat processing plant.

Something about that name sounded familiar.

Upon asking, she confirmed it was Zhou Boyang.

Yu Xiang’an couldn’t help but laugh when she heard the news. But this would be the last time. If it happened again, people might really start suspecting them. Right now, some had their suspicions, but nothing was certain.

The matter would likely be dropped. Even if the Yu family was the most suspicious, without evidence—and given how guilty the accusers felt—it wouldn’t go further. Just like when Liang Yong had shouted about finding the culprit but went silent after someone hinted at who it might be.

He knew that if it really was them and the reason came out, he’d be implicated too. It was better to swallow his anger and wait for another chance to retaliate.

Yu Xiangqing’s train left two days later. Unlike the three of them traveling together, she was going back alone. Yu Qingshan was genuinely worried, but there was nothing he could do.

Yu Xiangqing reassured him, “Dad, don’t worry. There are plenty of people around, and look at me—who’d even think of targeting someone like this?” She’d made herself look disheveled, like a married woman. Even if she ran into traffickers, her appearance wouldn’t attract attention.

“I’ll be there in half a day. As soon as I arrive, I’ll send a telegram. Nothing will happen.”

No matter how worried he was, he could only watch as her figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

If he was this anxious over such a short distance, he couldn’t imagine how those separated by half the country must feel.

As the New Year festivities faded, life returned to normal. Yu Xiang’an grew busy again.

Her Xixi Farm had upgraded.

It happened suddenly.

She’d gone in as usual to tend to the crops and livestock, counting the ducks when she realized two were missing. At first, she thought she’d miscounted, but after recounting, they were still gone.

Had the ducks escaped the fence and wandered into the soybean field? She looked up to check and noticed the empty space behind the warehouse had expanded.

Upon closer inspection, it was a grassland—about three acres in size.

“Wind sweeps the grass, revealing cattle and sheep.” Just like the initial allocation of apples, pears, grapes, and chestnuts in the farm, the pasture came with a pair of cows and goats.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

She was overwhelmed with joy.

After all this time, Xixi Farm had remained unchanged. With no experience points, she’d assumed it wouldn’t develop further. But now, a pasture had appeared!

Did this mean that, with patience, she could unlock other functions?

Like a marketplace, a processing workshop, or a fish pond.

Even if the pasture only allowed her to raise cattle and goats for now, it was already a huge boon.

Beef, mutton, milk, goat milk…

Just thinking about the dishes she could make—beef brisket stew, steak, beef offal, lamb skewers, lamb chops, lamb stew, roasted whole lamb…

Milk and goat milk could be used in countless recipes. Not to mention, she was still growing—milk would help with her development!

And with her sister-in-law about to give birth to twins, she could even help with baby formula.

Yu Xiang’an immediately ran over. The cows and goats weren’t afraid of her, lazily mooing and grazing.

With such a large pasture and only four animals, they had all the time in the world.

Yu Xiang’an studied the cows, deep in thought. She’d never milked a cow before—what was the right way to avoid getting kicked?

She needed answers, fast.

Maybe there was a “one-click harvest” and “one-click milking” option?

She tentatively tapped the screen and watched in amazement as the cows’ udders deflated.

Rushing to the warehouse, she found a new category labeled “Milk,” filled with creamy white liquid.

Hahaha!

Milk powder, milk candy, yogurt, cheese, milk pudding, milk curd—here she comes!

After heating some milk on the stove, she remembered the missing ducklings.

Returning to the pasture, she found the two “runaway” ducklings near the edge.

Yu Xiang’an carried them back and continued happily processing the milk.

She loved double-layer milk pudding and hadn’t had it in ages. Time to make some to satisfy her cravings…

While Yu Xiang’an was busy in Xixi Farm, Ding Minxiu went into labor.

It happened in her sleep. A sharp pain in her belly woke her, and she shook Zhou Boyang awake, crying out, “The baby’s coming!”

Zhou Boyang bolted up, threw on a coat, and rushed to knock on his parents’ door.

“Mom! Dad! She’s in labor!”

Fang Rong hurried to fetch the midwife. Given the circumstances, they couldn’t go to the hospital—it’d reveal how far along she really was. So they’d hired a midwife from out of town to deliver the baby. They’d arranged it beforehand to avoid gossip.

Yang Xizhi boiled water in the kitchen while Zhou Changshou and Zhou Duosun sat restlessly on stools. Zhou Boyang listened to the screams inside, sweat beading on his forehead.

She’d gone into labor at midnight, and by dawn, the baby still hadn’t arrived.

Zhou Changshou and Yang Xizhi, not needing to work, kept watch. Zhou Boyang took the day off, and Fang Rong helped inside. Only Zhou Duosun went to work as usual.

Zhou Boyang paced nervously, asking Yang Xizhi, “Grandma, do you think it’ll be a boy or a girl?”

Yang Xizhi said firmly, “A boy!” Their family had only had sons for three generations. They wanted a boy.

Daughters would marry out eventually.

At this critical moment, they had to speak positively—mentioning a girl might scare the boy away.

Zhou Changshou squinted silently. Of course, he also hoped for a son to carry on the Zhou family line.

Zhou Boyang licked his dry lips, suddenly terrified. Childbirth was horrifying. He looked uneasily at his grandfather. “Should we go to the hospital? It’s been so long.”

What if something went wrong…

Yang Xizhi shot the idea down. “What could go wrong? I gave birth to your father at home. Everyone does it this way. Only a few go to the hospital. It hasn’t even been that long—nothing will happen. Don’t jinx it.”

Zhou Boyang fell silent.

The sun climbed lazily from morning to noon. They ate a quick meal and continued waiting. Zhou Changshou was exhausted by then—he hadn’t slept since the labor started at midnight.

He only stayed to hear the baby’s gender as soon as possible.

Finally, after a sharp scream, they heard the infant’s cry.

Fang Rong’s joyful voice followed: “It’s born! It’s born!”

Zhou Changshou immediately stood up: “Is it a boy or a girl?”

Fang Rong quickly tidied up and came out: “It’s a son! I have a grandson now, Dad, you have a great-grandson!”

“I have a great-grandson! Wonderful, just wonderful!” Zhou Changshou gazed at the tiny, wrinkled little fellow, unable to tear his eyes away.

Yang Xizhi also stood up joyfully, admiring the baby for a long while before heading into her room. She unlocked a cabinet—after giving birth, the mother would be weak and needed proper nourishment, otherwise she wouldn’t have enough nutrients to feed the great-grandson.

The mother had to eat well so she could produce enough milk to raise the baby plump and healthy.

Zhou Boyang wanted to stand up and see the child, but his legs felt weak.

Too embarrassed to admit it, he silently steadied himself for a while before finally standing and moving closer to his grandfather. This was his son.

He was a father now.

At this moment, Zhou Boyang didn’t know how to describe his emotions. There was the pride of becoming a father, but also the uncertainty of not knowing how to care for such a tiny being.

So small. It would be a long time before he grew up.

Ding Minxiu fainted after giving birth and soon woke up uneasily. She didn’t know whether it was a boy or a girl, and her sleep had been restless. When she opened her eyes, the room was empty.

She was in pain, her whole body weak. She moved her hand slightly, gripping the blanket. She wanted to call out, but her voice was barely a whisper.

“Is anyone there?” Her voice was so soft only she could hear it.

Where had everyone gone?

Where was her child?

Not beside her either. Where was he?

Ding Minxiu was frantic with worry but utterly helpless. Dark thoughts crept in—had she given birth to a daughter, and now no one cared about her?

She knew they still resented her for the job incident and her biological father’s actions.

But what could she do?

Before her thoughts spiraled further, someone entered.

It was Fang Rong, carrying a bowl of egg soup. Seeing her awake, she quickened her steps with joy. “You’re awake! You must be hungry. Here, eat something. You need to eat well to have enough milk for the baby.”

“Where’s the baby?” She didn’t care about the food—she only wanted to know about her child. Given her mother-in-law’s attitude and the egg soup, she must have had a son, right?

“The baby is with his great-grandmother. Don’t worry, he’s fine. He’s just a little over five pounds—not very sturdy yet. He’ll need plenty of milk to grow stronger.”

“Is… is it a boy?” Her voice was slightly louder now.

“Yes, a boy!” Fang Rong grinned from ear to ear.

Ding Minxiu exhaled in relief, a faint smile of reassurance crossing her face before she let herself slip back into unconsciousness.

Wonderful.

She had given birth to a son. Now she wouldn’t have to worry about her place in the Zhou family. With this son, she was their benefactor.

The news spread quickly as Yang Xizhi happily informed the neighbors. She even sent someone to notify Zhao Qiaoniang, formally announcing to relatives and friends that they had welcomed a baby boy.

Now that Ding Minxiu had given them a son, Yang Xizhi wanted her to maintain good relations with her maternal family. The Yu family was a lost cause, but her birth mother was still around. No matter what, she was still her flesh and blood. Within her means, she would do her best to help her—after all, any aid would ultimately benefit her great-grandson.

When Zhao Qiaoniang heard that Ding Minxiu had given birth—and to a son—her face lit up with joy. A son was good, very good. A son meant security.

She must have suffered during childbirth. She needed to send her something nourishing.

Traditionally, when a married daughter gave birth, her maternal family was expected to show support, lest the husband’s family look down on her. Those with means would send a chicken; those without, eggs; and those with even less, fine grains.

She had already prepared baby clothes, but now she fretted over what to bring for Ding Minxiu’s recovery.

The family’s lone chicken was out of the question—it was their only source of eggs for nutrition. There were no spare eggs either; their household never had extras. If she wanted any, she’d have to buy them from the store or trade privately.

She hadn’t planned for this and now had to scramble to find enough.

Luckily, she managed to borrow twenty eggs—a respectable amount. Pleased, she returned home.

Seeing her expression, Yu Xiangju grew curious. “Mom, why are you so happy? What did you bring back?”

Zhao Qiaoniang stiffened. “Eggs. Minxiu gave birth. These are for her. Xiao Ju, can you keep this a secret? Don’t tell anyone—not Dad, not your siblings.”

Yu Qinghan was at work, and Yu Manchang was a temporary laborer at the brick factory. Only the two of them were home.

Yu Xiangju didn’t understand. “Dad and the others aren’t ‘anyone.’ Why can’t I tell them?”

Zhao Qiaoniang hesitated before replying, “This is just between us. Anyone else is ‘someone else.’ Xiao Ju, your dad wouldn’t be happy if he knew. I don’t want that. Just pretend you didn’t see anything, okay?”

Yu Xiangju nodded blankly.

Once in her room, Zhao Qiaoniang set the eggs down, her earlier joy completely gone. She wiped away a tear.

Such a happy occasion, yet she had to hide it. What had Minxiu gotten herself into?

Yu Xiang’an went to the finance department to ask Yan Yuzhen about temporary job opportunities. On the way, she ran into Song Shujing, who was there to collect half a month’s advance on Master Bao’s wages.

Their timing was unfortunate—inside, the staff were gossiping, and the subject was none other than Yu Xiang’an. Their voices were loud, so she didn’t even need to eavesdrop. She could hear everything clearly just standing outside.

She stopped and pulled Song Shujing to a halt beside her, listening together.

Song Shujing was mortified. If she’d known this would happen, she wouldn’t have come today. But her mother-in-law had been pressing her, so she had no choice.

The new accountant, Zheng Yingying, was in her early twenties and had connections. Yan Yuzhen had mentioned more than once that she had an air of arrogance about her.

Zheng Yingying was speaking to Sun Qingchun. “Why aren’t you more proactive? If you want a house, you have to fight for it yourself. You can’t just wait for it to fall into your lap. If it happened once, it can happen again. Don’t you want a new home?”

She had a dormitory, but it was old. She wanted a new house. The down payment wasn’t an issue, but too few people were stepping forward, so the factory wasn’t taking it seriously.

Everyone talked about it, but when it came to action, they went silent.

Sun Qingchun was one such person. If asked whether he wanted a new house, he’d say yes. But if asked to voice that to the higher-ups, he’d hesitate.

“I’m not waiting for a handout, but everyone else is doing the same.”

He didn’t want to be the first to speak up.

Maybe they were all just talking. Actually paying such a large sum wasn’t easy.

Zheng Yingying wasn’t giving up. Among the three accountants, Yan Yuzhen already had a new house, leaving only Sun Qingchun and herself without.

The three cashiers also had none, so she tried to rally them. “Don’t you want one? Let’s write a joint application.”

Li Jianguo was the first to refuse. “I can’t. My place is enough.” He had no money—he didn’t even dare to dream.

Wang Yunlai was tempted but also didn’t want to take the lead.

Deng Xiahong scoffed. “Have you even thought this through? Most of the higher-ups already have new houses. Organizing another round would take manpower and resources.”

The newcomer had connections, but they weren’t that strong. She had no qualms speaking bluntly.

“If you want a house, why not follow that Yu woman’s example and cozy up to the higher-ups?”

Yu Xiang’an and Song Shujing happened to be right outside the door at that moment.

“Once you’ve got them wrapped around your finger, not only will you get a new house, but promotions and raises too!”

Song Shujing: “…”

She really shouldn’t have come today.

Yan Yuzhen immediately slammed her hand on the table. “What nonsense are you spouting? Don’t mislead the newcomers. We all know what she’s like. What’s wrong with her having a new house? She paid for it. You want one without paying? Look at your own qualifications—have you contributed anything to the factory? Earned any honors? Her promotions and raises are deserved—she’s capable! She was the one who proposed the housing idea in the first place. I’m grateful to her, and so is everyone else. The higher-ups recognize her talent. If you want a promotion, why don’t you come up with ideas? Why don’t you write articles for the newspaper? All you do is gossip behind people’s backs. Why don’t you say this to Director Wang’s face?”

Yu Xiang’an pushed the door open. “Well said. Let’s go to Director Wang and settle this. If someone has baseless suspicions about my promotion and is slandering Director Wang as corrupt, I’m sure he’d like to clear things up.” She grabbed Deng Xiahong’s arm and started dragging her out.

Deng Xiahong’s face turned pale. She clung to the desk, refusing to budge. If this reached Director Wang, how could she ever show her face here again?