Chapter 16: I’d Rather Be a Widow for Life

With Cheng Hongying getting involved in the matter of the compensation, Qiu Yinuo no longer dared to refuse.

At worst, she thought, if Shao Chengyuan returned one day, she could subtract the proper allowances and return the rest of the money.

Still, taking money into her pocket only to give it back later—just the thought of it made her heart ache a little.

She invited Zhou Anbang to stay for lunch. By the afternoon, his orderly came back carrying several bags of baby formula, along with a generous amount of eggs, fish, and meat.

“Teacher, these are too valuable. I can’t accept them,” Qiu Yinuo said immediately.

Cheng Hongying, seeing this, grew both anxious and angry. Was this girl out of her mind? She was pushing away such good things?

There would be so many expenses in the future; whatever they could save now would count for something.

Qiu Yinuo ignored her and even shot her a sharp glare.

Zhou Anbang pretended not to see the little back-and-forth between the mother and daughter. “A’Yuan’s wife, I don’t have much I can do to help. Please, don’t be polite with me.”

“Teacher, I really can’t. Every household is lacking food and clothing. You should take these back!” Nowadays, everything required coupons to purchase. Some items even demanded people line up early in the morning. For Zhou Anbang to have bought so much in just half a day, he must have spent not just money but also used up favors.

“A’Yuan’s wife, if you won’t let me do anything to help, I’ll feel terrible,” he said, his eyes slightly red.

Seeing this, Qiu Yinuo felt a deep sense of guilt and couldn’t bring herself to refuse any further.

Later, she would send some local specialties to the teacher as a return gift. After all, reciprocation was how long-lasting relationships were built.

Back when Qiu Yinuo worked in sales, she had been especially good at maintaining and integrating her social network.

Connections weren’t meant for temporary use. They required long-term cultivation. When the time came that you truly needed help, even if you said nothing, the other party would still step forward.

Call her pragmatic or cold-hearted if you like—after experiencing the warmth and cruelty of the world, what she feared most was fighting alone with no one to rely on.

Before heading back, Zhou Anbang gave her his address and phone number without waiting for her to ask. “A’Yuan’s wife, if you ever face difficulties, you can come to me anytime. As long as it’s within my capabilities and doesn’t violate state laws or regulations, I will do everything I can to help.”

“Thank you, Teacher.”

After sending Zhou Anbang off, He Ziqing gave the mother and daughter some privacy.

The two sat in silence. One cried non-stop, as if life would be impossible without her man. The other rubbed her throbbing temples.

“Mom, can we stop crying now?”

Cheng Hongying huffed, “…You brat! Who do you think I’m crying for?”

When Qiu Yinuo said nothing and clearly had no desire to even converse, Cheng Hongying erupted in anger.

“I knew it—you’re still holding a grudge against me! Blaming me for favoring your brother when you were kids, saying I loved him more. But did I ever let you go hungry? Did I ever let you go without?”

“Of course not. Just that the food was never as good as his, and the clothes were never as nice as his.”

Cheng Hongying choked on her words. This girl’s tongue was just as sharp as ever.

“Wasn’t every family like that back then? And your brother was the only grandson of the Qiu family! I spoiled him a little more using your grandparents’ money. But the bit I saved? I spent it all on you.”

That was actually true. In an era when most families couldn’t even get enough to eat, the original owner had lived far better than many other girls thanks to her mother’s protection.

After all, they’d worked just as hard but didn’t get enough to eat.

 When Cheng Hongying looked like she was about to cry again, Qiu Yinuo instinctively blurted out, “Comrade Cheng Hongying, with all those wrinkles on your face and such dull skin, crying doesn’t exactly make you look pitiful.”

She was stunned the moment the words left her mouth.

The way she said it—it was as if she had said it countless times before, smooth and natural.

Cheng Hongying, however, flew into a rage. She shot to her feet and smacked her thick palm down hard on Qiu Yinuo’s back.

“You brat! How can your mouth be so vicious? People say you lost your memory—I say you’re faking it! If you weren’t pretending, how could you still talk to me like this?”

The two slaps nearly made her cough up blood. She quickly surrendered, “Don’t—don’t hit me again! You’re about to break my ribs! I won’t even be able to breastfeed…”

At the last line, Cheng Hongying immediately lowered her hand.

“You brat! If you keep talking to me like that, just wait until after you finish breastfeeding—then see how I deal with you!”

All bark and no bite.

That thought flashed through Qiu Yinuo’s mind so suddenly it even stunned her for a moment.

Once the tension quieted down, Cheng Hongying couldn’t hold back anymore. She hugged her daughter tightly, tears falling again.

“My poor girl… such misfortune. So young and already without a husband. How are you going to live from now on? Your brother is unreliable too—who can you count on in the future?”

Qiu Yinuo blinked, her eyes heating with emotion.

She was sure—this wasn’t her own reaction, but rather the original owner’s heartfelt sorrow.

The original Qiu Yinuo loved and resented her mother. She knew her mother loved her, but loved her younger brother more. That pain had never been reconciled.

Gently patting her trembling shoulder, she said, “Come on, it’s just a man. It’s not the end of the world. Things will get better. I’ve got two sons to care for me in the future—life’s going to be just fine.”

“You’re always trying to anger me! By the time you’ve raised those kids, you’ll be old and worn out. You won’t even be able to find a man others have thrown away. You’re still young—if you meet a good man, you should at least think it over.”

Raising one child was already hard enough for a woman—two boys was another level. And one day, those boys would need wives. Every step would cost money.

Her daughter was still so young. She shouldn’t be crushed under such a heavy burden.

If only her youngest son hadn’t acted out and run into the mountains back then—if only he hadn’t fallen from that cliff—her husband wouldn’t have even thought of selling their daughter for money.

Maybe she would have ended up marrying that boy from the Ding family. But then again, remembering the old lady from the Ding family and the trouble she made over the dowry… Cheng Hongying had long given up on that hope.

It was fate.

Maybe she and the boy were never meant to be.

“Forget it! If I ever run into another man like my dad, I’d rather be a widow for life.”

“You—!”

Cheng Hongying felt like she and this girl were born to clash. Just two sentences and her blood pressure was through the roof.

The mother and daughter stared at each other for a long time before Cheng Hongying cautiously asked, “You really lost your memory?”

“I really did. But the day I gave birth, I remembered a few things.”

“Do you still remember that boy from the Ding family?”

Ding Zixu. The male lead. Number one dangerous figure. She had to stay as far away from him as possible. No way she’d let that couple gain anything from her family.

If they wanted a good life, let them work for it.

If they wanted to step on her to climb up, they could forget it.

She shook her head. “Nope. Who’s that?”

Cheng Hongying let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Things had almost turned ugly back then over the dowry. Forgetting him was probably for the best.

Especially since her daughter was now married and had two sons. With those conditions, going back to that Ding boy would just invite insults from his mother.

“Then forget it. He wasn’t anyone important anyway. By the way, who’s that girl named Qingqing? She came to help you look after the kids. Can she be trusted?”

Qiu Yinuo explained He Ziqing’s background. “Just say she’s a distant relative of ours. And don’t let anything slip.”

“You paid her to come?”