“Auntie, please take these things. They’re a small token of my appreciation.”  

Though Zhong Meixian often spoke harshly and had a sharp, competitive personality, she wasn’t the type to be swayed by material things.  

The gifts Luo Tian had brought were a bit too extravagant for her, making Zhong Meixian hesitate. “No, I can’t accept these.”  

Luo Tian immediately responded, “Auntie, do you think I didn’t bring enough?”  

Zhong Meixian waved her hands. “No, that’s not it.”  

As soon as she said “no,” Luo Tian stuffed the gifts into her hands. “If that’s not the case, then please take them, Auntie.”  

“Auntie, you’re Comrade Gu’s mother, right?”  

Holding the gifts, which felt heavy in her hands, Zhong Meixian smiled and nodded. “Yes, Yanli is my son.”  

“Ah, miss, let me get you a stool.”  

Politeness is never unwelcome, and given the generous gifts Luo Tian had brought, Zhong Meixian couldn’t bring herself to dislike her.  

Moreover, Luo Tian had come to express gratitude for a life-saving favor, not because of her son—which put Zhong Meixian at ease and made her much warmer toward the girl.  

Soon, Zhong Meixian brought out a small stool for Luo Tian to sit on.  

“Miss, would you like some water?” she asked. “I’ll pour you a cup of sugar water!”  

Luo Tian quickly shook her head and pulled Zhong Meixian down to sit beside her. “Auntie, please sit. Don’t worry about me—I’m not thirsty.”  

Once Zhong Meixian was seated, Luo Tian’s gaze fell on the unfinished laundry by the well. “Auntie, you were washing clothes?”  

“Am I keeping you from your work by sitting here?”  

She made as if to stand up. “Auntie, let me help you wash them!”  

Zhong Meixian couldn’t possibly let her do that!  

She quickly grabbed Luo Tian’s arm. “How could I let you help with the laundry?”  

“No, no, please sit, sit.”  

Luo Tian didn’t insist but still said, “It’s no trouble at all, Auntie. Comrade Gu saved my life, and since you’re his mother, you’re like a second mother to me. Helping you wash clothes is nothing!”  

Zhong Meixian was deeply moved by her words. Holding Luo Tian’s hand, she praised her sincerely, “You’re such a good girl.”  

“But really, it’s unnecessary. Yanli only saved you incidentally—it wasn’t some grand act of heroism.”  

Then Zhong Meixian began asking Luo Tian, “Miss, where are you from?”  

“What brings you alone to such a remote place like ours?”  

“Aren’t your family worried?”  

When Zhong Meixian mentioned her family, the brightness in Luo Tian’s eyes dimmed. “My parents are still around. I have two older brothers… and an older sister.”  

As she spoke, she gestured vaguely, steering the conversation elsewhere. “Is Comrade Gu in the military?”  

“I saw him in uniform that day.”  

Gu Yanli’s olive-green uniform stood out sharply in the crowd, even without him saying a word.  

And since he was her savior, he stood out even more.  

Speaking of Gu Yanli, pride flashed across Zhong Meixian’s face. “Yes, Yanli is in the army. He’s already a battalion commander now.”  

“A battalion commander?” Luo Tian’s eyes brightened again. “He doesn’t look very old!”  

When it came to his age, Zhong Meixian grew even prouder. “That’s right. Yanli is only twenty-six this year.”  

Luo Tian praised her, “Auntie, you’ve raised him so well! For Comrade Gu to achieve so much at such a young age—”  

She gave Zhong Meixian a thumbs-up. “Auntie, as his mother, you deserve all the credit.”  

Who doesn’t love hearing compliments? Luo Tian’s words filled Zhong Meixian with such delight that she couldn’t help but straighten her clothes as she sat there.

Just as the two were chatting harmoniously, Wen Tang emerged from the house, rubbing her eyes and yawning, holding a enamel mug and a toothbrush in her hand.  

Wen Tang didn’t notice Luo Tian at first, but Luo Tian spotted her immediately.  

Upon seeing Wen Tang, Luo Tian didn’t immediately stand up to greet her, nor did she ask Zhong Meixian about Wen Tang’s identity—she simply stared at her.  

Only when Wen Tang’s gaze turned toward her did Luo Tian look back at Zhong Meixian and ask, “Auntie, who is this?”  

Zhong Meixian glanced at the beautiful and gentle Luo Tian before reluctantly answering, “Yanli’s wife.”  

In her heart, Zhong Meixian thought: This is so embarrassing!

Originally, Wen Tang sleeping in until mid-morning was only known within their household. But now, Luo Tian had seen it—by tomorrow, the whole brigade would probably know.  

Soon, everyone would learn that the Gu family had married a lazy woman.  

As if that weren’t enough, Chi Yue also came over from next door, toothbrush in hand.  

Zhong Meixian’s head drooped even lower, and she murmured to Luo Tian, “This is my eldest grandson’s wife.”  

“They came into the family on the same day.”  

Luo Tian raised her brows slightly. Even though she wasn’t particularly curious, she found this situation quite intriguing—an uncle and nephew getting married on the same day?  

In all her years, this was a first for her.  

But Luo Tian didn’t ask. Instead, she smiled and said, “That’s a double blessing for the family.”  

Zhong Meixian nodded.  

Of course, she wouldn’t tell Luo Tian—an outsider—that Wen Tang was a shameless woman who had crawled into a man’s bed.  

Wen Tang might have no shame, but her son, who had married her, would lose even more face.  

Wen Tang and Chi Yue exchanged a glance. Both of them knew exactly who the woman sitting beside Zhong Meixian was.  

The female lead, Luo Tian!

In the original novel, Luo Tian had also come to express gratitude after being rescued, bringing gifts and helping Zhong Meixian with chores. She quickly won Zhong Meixian’s affection, eventually being recognized as her goddaughter, which gave her a legitimate reason to visit the Gu family frequently.  

Gradually, her interactions with Gu Yanli increased.  

Moreover, in the book’s setting, the original Wen Tang was in love with Lin Jingshen.  

Even after marrying Gu Yanli, this never changed.  

She remained obsessed with how to win Lin Jingshen over—if she couldn’t have his heart, she’d settle for his body. She did many outrageous things that defied common decency.  

In the end, Gu Yanli couldn’t take it anymore and divorced her.  

At that point, Luo Tian took the initiative to pursue him, and the two naturally ended up together.  

Seeing Luo Tian now, Wen Tang had only one thought: Some things may have changed, but the main storyline remains unaltered.

With that in mind, Wen Tang turned her head and smiled. “Mom, who’s this?”  

Being called “Mom,” Zhong Meixian had no choice but to lift her head.  

But before she could introduce them, Luo Tian stood up gracefully and extended her hand to Wen Tang, introducing herself, “Hello, my name is Luo Tian. I’m an educated youth from the Educated Youth point. We met yesterday.”  

Facing Wen Tang, a rural woman, Luo Tian—an urban educated youth—felt a strong sense of superiority, which made her poised and confident.  

But Wen Tang, instead of shaking her hand, simply raised her enamel mug and toothbrush and said, “Don’t remember.”  

Then she added, “Wen Tang.”  

Luo Tian was graceful, but Wen Tang wasn’t the least bit timid or insecure.  

In fact, she seemed almost dismissive.  

Luo Tian rubbed her fingers together and withdrew her hand.  

Then she turned back to Zhong Meixian. “Auntie, where is Comrade Gu?”  

“Has he returned to the army?”