Everyone had kids, or was expecting. Li Hongying started preparing dinner early, and it was ready by five o’clock.

The meal for Tangyuan and Dumplings was specially prepared by Li Hongying. The two of them had wonton noodles with steamed fish and a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

The last time Ruan Qingru saw the children was during the Lunar New Year. After the holiday, Feng Lishu and the others came to Jing City to study. Although it had only been a few months, children change daily, and the two had just turned one year old a couple of days ago, at the stage of babbling and learning to walk.

When the two children first saw her at the train station, there was unfamiliarity in their eyes. Ruan Qingru felt a tinge of sadness, but fortunately, they warmed up quickly. During dinner, Ruan Qingru fed them, and the two ate quietly, taking turns, without any fuss or impatience, their well-behaved nature endearing her greatly.

At six o’clock, the zhua zhou ceremony for Dumplings and Tangyuan was held. It had been postponed for two days to wait for Ruan Qingru’s arrival.

Dumplings grabbed a pen, and Tangyuan picked a book, making Ruan Qingru exclaim at their cleverness.

"In-law, you’ve worked hard." Knowing how well the children were taught, Ruan Qingru credited Li Hongying. Her own daughter and son-in-law had to study, leaving Li Hongying to raise them. When the children were in Huaixi County, Ruan Qingru often visited and had witnessed Li Hongying’s excellent child-rearing skills, far better than her own.

Now, the two children were nurtured to be healthy and fair-skinned, obedient and sensible, all thanks to the adults’ guidance. As Ruan Qingru only had one daughter, Feng Lishu, she paid extra attention to her grandchildren, feeling even more grateful to Li Hongying.

"It’s no burden at all; taking care of kids is a joy," Li Hongying said, waving her hands. "Plus, Lishu and Anguo take over when they’re off. They’re knowledgeable, which is why they’ve raised the children so well."

Ruan Qingru couldn’t help but smile broader, as praising her daughter felt like praise for herself.

Ruan Qingru rarely visited, so tonight Feng Lishu slept with her mother, and the two children were also brought to the room where Ruan Qingru was staying.

Mother and daughter hadn’t seen each other for months and had much to talk about.

"Just by looking at your complexion, I don’t need to ask how you’re doing at your in-laws’," Ruan Qingru remarked, seeing the rosy, happy glow on Feng Lishu’s face. "You used to be so flighty and unreliable, but you have chosen well for a husband. Getting it right once in a lifetime is enough."

"Mom—" Feng Lishu replied, both helpless and amused.

"Take this." Ruan Qingru took out a thick envelope from her bag. "For the two children."

"It’s too much," Feng Lishu said, peeking inside the envelope full of banknotes, which must amount to a thousand.

"I have two grandchildren," Ruan Qingru said. "Looking at Dumplings and Tangyuan, they’re being well cared for. I’ve just seen how well they eat; they’re never short of formula. Your in-laws truly care for the kids."

"You and Anguo eat and live under their roof, and your mother-in-law even takes care of the kids. No one’s mother-in-law is as good as yours, willing to work hard and do everything herself. You’ve truly landed in a lucky nest."

"Your father and I only have one daughter, so everything we have will eventually be yours. Take this confidently, and occasionally buy your mother-in-law new clothes or things she can use. Maintaining good relations is important."

Feng Lishu nodded, "I understand, Mom."

"You never even ask us for money," Ruan Qingru chided, tapping Feng Lishu’s forehead gently. "Your allowance and Anguo’s are barely enough to cover living expenses for just you two and the kids."

"Big brother and sister-in-law often bring us things like formula and skincare. If they buy for themselves, they never leave us out," Feng Lishu explained. "Last time, they even got health supplements for Anguo and Xiaobao."

"Your brother and sister-in-law are well-off, but money doesn’t grow on trees. I heard they even paid for your place. Aren’t you embarrassed to take without giving back?" Ruan Qingru said, a little exasperated.

"Besides, these are blessings your mother-in-law has earned over time. You’re benefiting from them, so you should treat your in-laws well."

"And with Anguo, too, save some money for him. I hear he barely keeps any of his allowance, giving most of it to you. No man should be without some cash on him."

"I get it, Mom," Feng Lishu said, smiling and resting her head on Ruan Qingru’s shoulder, listening to her mother’s gentle nagging.

Xu Ancheng, Yi Roujing, and Baozi left Beiluo Lane after dinner, walking home to digest.

"Dad, did you and Mom have a good time last night?" Baozi, clinging to Xu Ancheng’s shoulder, asked boldly.

"Hmm, it was good," Xu Ancheng replied solemnly.

"Then you two should spend time alone sometimes," Baozi suggested.

Xu Ancheng looked a bit surprised. "You don’t mind?"

"Why would I? Grandpa said that way I might get a brother or sister faster."

Yi Roujing blushed at this, saying, "For now, that’s unlikely, as Mom still needs to study."

"Okay, then I’ll wait," Baozi replied, suddenly looking back. "That person over there ran away."

Xu Ancheng and Yi Roujing turned to look, but the street was empty of running people. Those walking in the opposite direction were merely strolling, and the direction Baozi pointed to was the corner of the street.

"Why did you notice that person?" Xu Ancheng chose not to investigate further but asked instead.

"That person was standing in the corner, peeking out from time to time. Their face was too dirty to see clearly, but their eyes were a bit scary," Baozi frowned. "I didn’t like the look in their eyes."

"Were they looking at us?"

"I don’t know. They seemed to be always looking at me whenever I checked," Baozi explained.

Yi Roujing felt a jolt of fear, quickly pulling Baozi closer. "You’re saying that whenever you saw them from the front, they were looking at you?"

Baozi nodded.

"You must have been scared," Yi Roujing said, her heart aching after learning this for the first time.

"Not scared, because most of the looks are gentle or normal," Baozi replied. "Before, I didn’t understand, but now I do. They weren’t really looking at me; I just happened to see them. But I’ve never seen anyone like that person just now before."

"What were they wearing? Was it a man or a woman?" Xu Ancheng asked.

"It was probably a woman, very thin, with dirty clothes and messy hair. Her eyes were red," Baozi described.

"Let’s head home. I’ll have someone look into it," Xu Ancheng said cautiously, feeling uneasy about his son’s unusual experience.

Once home, Xu Ancheng made a call immediately, only saying a few words before his face turned somber. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Roujing, perhaps you should take a break for a few days. Li Xipei is missing," he said.