Chapter 6

The next day was Sunday. Song Nian didn’t have to work and allowed herself to wake naturally.

Not that she slept in much—when she opened her eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall, it wasn’t yet eight-thirty.

Xue Suwan usually didn’t get up until nine, so Song Nian wasn’t in a rush. She dragged her sore body up from the bed.

The moment she moved, though, she froze—something felt off beneath her.

Had she not washed thoroughly last night?

Dragging her aching waist into the bathroom, she realized: her period had started.

By the time she had tidied up and stepped out, twenty minutes had passed. Just as she opened her door, she saw the study door across the hall open as well.

She blinked in surprise. “You’re not going to work?”

Xu Jin glanced at her. “It’s Sunday.”

Song Nian let out a sheepish “oh” and said no more, walking forward with Xu Jin following behind.

She wore a light-blue blouse with black trousers that day, her hair braided loosely and draped over her chest… and Xu Jin noticed how, as she walked, she absentmindedly supported her waist with a hand.

His brow arched slightly. He realized immediately—after last night, she was indeed sore.

How could decadent, hollow, corrupt capitalism withstand the thousand hammer blows of socialism’s forging?

When Song Nian came downstairs, she found others already in the living room—Xu Jin’s cousin Xu Nan, his wife Lin Li, and their child, Xu Yuan.

“The new bride finally decided to show herself! Second Aunt, does that mean we can have breakfast now?”

Lin Li, Xu Jin’s cousin-in-law, sat beside Mother Xu with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Song Nian instantly picked up on the hidden barb in her words.

It looked like teasing, but in truth, it meant that everyone had been waiting for Song Nian to come down to eat—implying she had risen late.

But Song Nian knew: if not for this family of three arriving so early, Mother Xu herself would likely still be asleep.

Feigning ignorance of Lin Li’s undertone, Song Nian smiled as she sat across from her. “I didn’t know cousin and cousin-in-law would come so early. If I had, I’d have gotten up sooner to welcome you properly.”

Lin Li’s smile stiffened. She forced a laugh. “Second Aunt, did you hear that? Our new sister-in-law thinks we came uninvited, getting in the way.”

Before Xue Suwan could speak, Song Nian looked up, wide-eyed with surprise. “How could you think that, cousin-in-law? I had no idea I needed to weigh every word with you so carefully, as if each one hid a deeper meaning. That’s my mistake. Please don’t hold it against me.”

In truth, though she disliked such things, she had grown up in a family where scheming relatives were hardly rare. She knew very well how to handle these petty tricks.

As expected, Lin Li was left speechless, choking on her own words. Only when Aunt Zhou brought breakfast did she finally shut her mouth.

But not for long.

When Xu Jin ladled rice porridge for his mother, then casually served a bowl for Song Nian, Lin Li spoke up again.

“Look at that—just what one would expect of a pampered capitalist young lady, needing A-Jin to serve her food. In the Xu family, we don’t do that.”

Xu Jin’s movements paused slightly. He glanced at his cousin, then calmly set the bowl before Song Nian.

Song Nian smiled. “You must be joking, cousin-in-law. A-Jin honoring his mother and caring for his wife—I think that reflects very well on the Xu family tradition.”

Then, as though struck by a thought, she blinked at Lin Li in mild surprise. “Could it be that cousin has never treated you this considerately? No wonder you find it strange.”

Color flooded Lin Li’s face. “You—”

Xu Nan sighed. “Enough. Eat your breakfast.”

Lin Li bit her lip, glaring at her husband, and finally fell silent.

After breakfast, Song Nian told Xue Suwan she was feeling unwell and would rest in her room. She nodded politely to Xu Nan and Lin Li before going upstairs.

The first day of her period always brought cramps. Thankfully, she didn’t have work that day.

She had just lain down when her bedroom door suddenly opened. Assuming it was Xu Jin, she looked up—only to see Xu Yuan, Xu Nan and Lin Li’s son.

The five- or six-year-old barged in, announcing, “Auntie, I came to see your and Uncle’s wedding room!”

Song Nian was helpless, but it wasn’t as though she could scold a child. Smiling, she humored him. But soon she noticed him rummaging around, opening drawers and cupboards.

Unable to bear it, she sat up. “Xiao Xu Yuan, what are you looking for? If you need something, just tell Auntie. I’ll get it for you.”

“Oh, nothing. I just want to see what treasures a capitalist hides.”

With that, he yanked open her dressing table drawer and pulled out her jewelry box.

Inside were trinkets her mother had managed to save for her when the Song family fell—pieces she had once loved dearly, some still quite valuable.

Alarmed that the child might break them, Song Nian hurried over, coaxing gently. “Xu Yuan, those are Auntie’s things, not toys. You can’t play with them. How about Auntie gets you something tasty instead?”

The boy tossed the box back onto the table with a bang, then climbed onto a chair and held out his arms. “Fine. Then carry me.”

Song Nian reached to lift him down—but in that instant, she caught the malicious glint in his smiling eyes.

Before she could react, he kicked out sharply, his little foot striking her abdomen.

Song Nian cried out in pain. Startled, she lost her grip, and the boy tumbled to the floor, immediately bursting into loud sobs.

“What happened? What happened?”

Lin Li and Xu Nan rushed in, Xu Jin and his mother close behind. Lin Li darted forward to scoop up her son. “Baby, what’s wrong? Who bullied you?”

She looked up sharply at Song Nian. “Sister-in-law, what happened here?”

Song Nian took a steadying breath, about to speak—when the wailing boy shouted between sobs, “Auntie wouldn’t let me touch her drawer and pushed me down! It hurts, it hurts!”

Lin Li’s face darkened. “Song Nian, really? He’s just a child, and you would push him? What kind of aunt does that? All this over some jewelry? Are your capitalist trinkets so precious that a child can’t even touch them?”

Song Nian’s expression turned cold. Her abdomen throbbed, and she lowered herself onto a chair, speaking evenly. “I did not push him. He tricked me into picking him up and then deliberately kicked me in the stomach.”

Xu Yuan howled louder. “I didn’t! I didn’t!”

Lin Li snapped, “He’s just a child—do you think he can lie?”

Song Nian’s tone remained calm. “Whether he lies or not, what kind of person he is—you know better than I.”

Lin Li’s face twisted with fury. She turned to Xue Suwan. “Second Aunt, do you see what a fine daughter-in-law you’ve got? Wonderful, isn’t she? We should have taken the hint earlier when we weren’t welcome here. My fault, for not seeing it sooner and letting my son suffer for it.”

Clutching her son, she shot a glare at her husband. “Let’s go. We’re not welcome—why come again?”

Xu Nan tried to intervene. “Wait, don’t—”

“Don’t what? You want to stay until this capitalist young miss kicks us out herself?”

Her voice dripping with resentment, she stormed out with the child, leaving Xu Nan to mutter apologies to Mother Xu before hurrying after her.

In the room, only Song Nian, Xu Jin, and Mother Xu remained.

Song Nian steadied herself on the table and stood. “Mom, Xu Jin, I’m telling the truth. I didn’t hurt the child—he deliberately kicked me.”

Xue Suwan’s brows furrowed tightly. “But it’s also true that you didn’t welcome them.”

Song Nian paused, then answered frankly, “It was cousin-in-law who showed me hostility first. And in my own home, I don’t think I should have to bow and scrape to an outsider.”

Her mother-in-law hadn’t expected such bluntness. Her expression hardened. “Guests are guests. A-Nan’s family doesn’t have what we have, so we should be the more gracious. Harmony makes a home. Don’t bring that capitalist cold-bloodedness into the Xu family.”

Song Nian froze, then remembered—she had sought refuge here.

This marriage was something the Xu family had reluctantly agreed to. Xu Jin didn’t like her. Compared to her, of course they would stand closer to their own kin.

She had been impulsive.

After a pause, she lowered her voice. “I understand, Mom.”

Mother Xu turned to Xu Jin. “Go see your cousin off.”

He agreed, then stepped to Song Nian’s side before leaving. “Are you in pain? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

His face was unreadable as always, and Song Nian couldn’t tell if there was true concern in his words, or simply a way of expressing disapproval. She shook her head. “Rest will be enough.”

“Then rest.”

With that, he picked up his coat and left the room—closing the door gently behind him.