Chapter 28, Second Watch Indeed, Wan Zhenzhen was pregnant. The arrival of this child brought her relief. Due to the family planning policy, in her previous life she had been unable to bear another child after giving birth to a daughter; moreover, because she had borne only a daughter, she spent the following years in utter despair, and finally, when her husband lost his job, she straightforwardly abandoned their daughter, divorced him, and left.

Later, when her own fortunes declined and she went to ask her daughter for money, that daughter, whom she had not seen for many years and who was attending a prestigious university, avoided her as though she were a venomous serpent. Wan Zhenzhen cradled her belly. In this life, she wanted no daughter; she prayed only that Heaven would grant her a son! Her mother had been right: only with a son does one have roots. Daughters are nothing but debt collectors.

"Mother, do you think I'm carrying a boy or a girl? These past few days, all I've craved are sour things." Wan Zhenzhen asked this deliberately; her pregnancy was not yet two months along, and in truth she had no appetite for anything sour or sweet.

Her mother rolled her eyes and snapped irritably, "How could anyone tell the baby's sex at this stage?"

Though the sex could not be determined, the duration of the pregnancy could. A few days earlier, while mopping the floor at home, Wan Zhenzhen had suddenly fainted. Although she regained consciousness shortly afterward, her mother remained fearful that something might be seriously wrong. After all, once Wan Zhenzhen married, she belonged to the Wang family. If anything happened to her while she was still at her maiden home, how could they ever explain it to her husband? Her mother had fiercely resolved to send Wan Zhenzhen away as soon as she returned, but upon going for a checkup, Wan Zhenzhen was found to be a month and a half pregnant. They had been married only a few days—how could there already be a pregnancy of a month and a half? Her mother was so startled she did not know what to say; she nearly wanted to strangle this good-for-nothing burden.

How dare she be so brazen! Only after Wan Zhenzhen assured her that the child in her womb was indeed Wang Hua's did her mother finally relax. With the pregnancy confirmed, Wan Zhenzhen's thoughts began to stir again. Regardless of whether Wang Hua intended to divorce her, with this child, divorce was now impossible. Wan Zhenzhen felt somewhat triumphant and relieved. She believed this perfectly timed child must surely be the son she had longed for. With this precious treasure, she now had a safeguard for her future. Even if, in this life, she could never gain the upper hand over Qian Qing, she did not feel she had lost out. In her previous life, Qian Qing had only one daughter; Zhou Hao held a secure position at the state-owned factory, and the couple could not have a second child. Wan Zhenzhen happily cradled her belly; the life within her was a golden treasure!

Perhaps due to psychological factors, ever since the pregnancy was diagnosed, Wan Zhenzhen had begun suffering from morning sickness so severe she could barely walk. Her mother dared not let her go out, fearing someone might notice something amiss. Although the child was indeed her son-in-law's, vomiting this early—only half a month into the marriage—would make even a fool suspect the timing was off. For an engaged couple to have lived together before marriage would sound scandalous if word got out. Thus, her mother could only grit her teeth and keep Wan Zhenzhen at home, planning to have her son-in-law fetch her once she felt better. Wan Zhenzhen, too, was calculating the timing. Having lost face in the residential compound, returning home crestfallen would be deeply humiliating. Wang Hua must come to fetch her! She would not allow herself or the child in her womb to suffer any slight.

"Mother, why did I just hear such a commotion?"

At this mention, her mother's anger rose another notch. Both daughters had married into the same area, so why had Wang Hua, accompanying his wife on her post-wedding visit to her maiden home, brought only some cheap dried goods, without even a single strip of meat? Look at Qian Qing—what a grand procession she had returned with! Thinking thus, her mother spoke accordingly, nagging incessantly at Wan Zhenzhen: "Look at her, then look at you. You're pregnant, yet Wang Hua shows no extra concern; you've been back at your maiden home for several days, and not a shadow of him has appeared."

Wan Zhenzhen also felt uneasy. She had fled after causing trouble; how could Wang Hua possibly come to her maiden home to fetch her? But now things were different: she carried a child in her womb.

"Mother, I feel much better now. Why don't you ask Father to go once and tell Wang Hua to come fetch me?"

Staying indefinitely at her maiden home was improper. During early pregnancy, she suffered excessive drowsiness; sleeping in the living room was uncomfortable, and she could only nap in the inner room during daylight hours. Her mother thought for a moment and agreed: "Ask your father to make the trip then; anyway, he doesn't have work this afternoon."

"The daughter is pregnant. Shouldn't the son-in-law come and show some respect when picking her up? It's hard to explain over the phone; better have the man come in person and give a proper hint."

As mother and daughter were talking, they suddenly heard a shriek from outside, followed by Wan Baojin wailing at the top of his lungs. Mother Wan rushed out anxiously, tripping over a chair in her haste. Seeing his mother appear, Wan Baojin acted as if he'd found a mighty protector and cried even more fervently.

"Mom—they're all bullying me!"

"They wouldn't give me food, and they kicked me twice!"

He showed his mother the shoe prints on his trousers. This sent Mother Wan into a frenzy; she turned around, grabbing a kitchen knife, ready to fight to the death.

"Ding Hongjuan! I'll settle this with you! My son just wanted something to eat, and you dare lay hands on him? You bitch…"

Ding Hongjuan was Mother Qian's given name.

At that moment, Mother Qian was crouched nearby, holding her granddaughter. Qianqian huddled in her grandmother's arms, sobbing until she hiccuped, her little face marked with faint red bruises. Hearing Mother Wan's accusations, Zhou Hao, Qian Qing, and Qian Yu all moved to step forward. Mother Qian stopped them with a glance, handed Qianqian to Qian Yu, then stepped to the doorway and looked coldly at Mother Wan.

"Only today have I realized that there isn't a single decent person in your family."

Mother Qian no longer wished to hide behind her children. For years, lacking a son and being naturally kind and unwilling to stir trouble, she had often adopted the mindset that it was better to avoid extra complications. She believed that treating others well would earn genuine kindness in return. Now she saw that such a state of "everyone being good to everyone"

was nothing more than a fantasy. When she had just witnessed Wan Baojin snatch her granddaughter's bowl and push Qianqian to the ground, Mother Qian bitterly regretted her past weakness. It was her weakness that had fed others' selfishness, making them think she was a "complete fool."

Mother Wan was momentarily stunned by Mother Qian's expression, but anger quickly surged again.

"Who are you calling names, Ding Hongjuan? Your whole family is the rotten ones! My son was just greedy; can't you even spare a child? Are you even human? Beating our Baojin—a whole bunch of adults ganging up on one child—you're the shameless ones!"

Mother Qian remained unmoved.

"Which eye of yours saw us hitting him? Besides, snatching things in someone else's home deserves a beating. Only children without proper upbringing would do such things. Two kicks now might still set him right; if he doesn't change, when he grows up he'll end up in prison or facing a firing squad!"

Mother Wan exploded with rage, her mind feeling as if a thousand firecrackers had gone off inside her head, leaving her disoriented.

"Bitch, bitch, shameless slut, a wandering ghost with no son and no roots, may you be reborn as livestock in your next life, you vile woman…"

By now, Mother Qian had reached a point where such insults no longer affected her; she was accustomed to them.

"I'll return all those words to you; no need for me to repeat them."

Mother Wan lunged to tear at Mother Qian, but Zhou Hao stood like a clock tower, blocking the way. Though lean, his body was packed with muscle.

"…Ding Hongjuan!"

Mother Qian tweaked her ear.

"I'm listening."

"Just you wait! Wait until my old man Wan gets back!"

Zhou Hao suddenly cut in: "I'll be waiting."

He wanted to see just how much lower this family could sink. Qingqing's mother was his mother; anyone trying to bully her would find it impossible! That said, Wan Zhenzhen truly came from a fine tradition—just like her mother, if not worse. Mother Wan rolled her eyes in fury. The Qian family was blatantly unreasonable! They wouldn't even offer a few soothing words! By now, Qian Yu had calmed his daughter. His expression darkened.

"I was the one who kicked your son just now, because he deserved it! Snatching my daughter's things and pushing her down—I was fully justified in teaching him a lesson!" Zhou Hao added,

"The harder kick was mine."

He didn't even bother giving a reason. Mother Wan's lips trembled.

"Y-you… just you wait!"

She turned, dragged Wan Baojin, and headed downstairs.

"Where is she going?"

"Probably to fetch her husband, Old Wan."

"Not necessarily; I'd say he's probably gone to find a son-in-law."

"That makes sense too. The Qian family's son-in-law is formidable; she surely can't swallow that insult."

… Whispers circulated among the neighbors. Zhou Hao paused briefly, yet Qian Qing could clearly sense a hint of satisfaction in him, though she had no idea what pleased him.