After sending Wang Jinge away, Cheng Yufen returned to her office. She stood silently, watching Shen Meng still sitting comfortably in her chair, her posture relaxed.

“Dr. Cheng, don’t worry or overthink it. I simply couldn’t stand by and watch,” Shen Meng said with a light chuckle, attempting to ease the tension.

“Comrade Shen,” Cheng Yufen replied, her voice calm but firm, “as a doctor, I understand the duties of your husband as a soldier. He wouldn’t appreciate you using his name to help others, even if your intentions were good. I must say, you’ve overstepped.”

Shen Meng froze for a moment. What kind of logic is that?

“Dr. Cheng, if I may ask—your relationship with your husband and children isn’t very harmonious, is it?”

The question caught Cheng Yufen off guard, her face visibly stiffening.

“It seems I’m right,” Shen Meng said coolly. “Dr. Cheng, I’ll leave the judgment of my marriage to me. You should focus your energy on mending your relationships at home instead of worrying about mine. With your relatives no longer leeching off you, perhaps you’ll have the time to repair those bonds.”

With that, Shen Meng stood up and left the office.

She wasn’t in a rush. The seeds had been planted, and pushing further now would only seem desperate. Even if Cheng Yufen didn’t fully appreciate her actions, her husband and children would certainly recognize the value of cutting ties with her exploitative relatives.

Outside, the children sitting on the ox cart were growing restless. If their mother hadn’t told them to wait, they would have marched into the hospital to find her.

“Big brother, look! Mom’s coming out!”

“And she’s carrying something! What is it?”

“Mom, are we still going to the photo studio?”

Shen Meng hopped onto the ox cart, hefting the bag in her hand.

“Yes, we’re still going. But first, we’re going to the supply and marketing cooperative, then lunch, and the photo studio after that. Thank you for waiting, Uncle Guai.”

Guai Shu grinned, loosening the ox’s tether. “No trouble at all, heh!”

Inside, however, he was wondering where he could spend the time while they ate. He didn’t want to impose by joining them for a meal—that would be shameless.

As Shen Meng settled onto the cart, little Mingkai climbed into her lap, eyeing the bag she was carrying.

“Mom, what’s in the bag?”

Shen Meng pinched his cheek playfully, opened the bag, and revealed its contents.

“These are calcium tablets for you all. They’re orange-flavored, and each of you gets your own bottle. Even Xiaogang has one. Here, Jinghao, take this and give one to Xiaogang every morning.”

Jinghao hesitated. “This too much?”

Shen Meng handed the bottle to her firmly, giving her a pointed look.

“There’s no such thing as ‘too much’ when it’s for the children. And don’t forget—you still have money saved with me. No more objections.”

Excited, Mingkai held up his bottle. “Mom, open it! I want one now!”

Shen Meng opened the bottle, popped one into his mouth, and asked, “How does it taste?”

“Delicious! Mom, you should have one too. You need to take care of yourself!”

Mingkai picked out a tablet and offered it to her. Shen Meng dramatically opened her mouth and ate it from his hand, smacking her lips.

“Wow, Mingkai’s calcium tablets are the best! So sweet!”

Mingkai giggled, his mouth full, orange-flavored drool dripping down his chin.

Seeing how happy his brother was, Xiaogang looked expectantly at Jinghao. She sighed, opened his bottle, and gave him a tablet.

“Chew slowly, okay?”

Xiaogang’s eyes lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically.

Mingyang didn’t eat his right away, clutching the bottle tightly in his hand. Mingfang carefully tucked hers into her pocket and patted it for safekeeping. Mingliang, however, excitedly opened his bottle and popped two or three tablets into his mouth at once, savoring the sweet orange flavor.

“Hey, these are calcium supplements, not candy,” Shen Meng chided gently. “One tablet every morning is enough. I’ll get you some fruit-flavored candy later.”

“Okay, Mom!” Mingliang answered cheerfully, happily sucking on the tablets.

At the supply and marketing cooperative, Shen Meng took Mingyang with her, leaving the others on the cart. He was older and could help carry things.

The cooperative was bustling as usual. Shen Meng and Mingyang squeezed their way to the front.

Eyeing a few neatly folded white shirts on display, Shen Meng turned to her son.

“Mingyang, do you think we should get your father a shirt? What size does he wear?”

Mingyang froze, looking flustered. “Uh… Mom?”

Looking at the confused kid, she knew she had asked the wrong person. “Forget it. Let’s skip the shirts.”

She turned to the clerk. “I’ll take five pairs of socks, two pounds of fruit candy, three pounds of egg cake, two pounds of corn cake, three boxes of peach crisps, and two pairs of size-43 liberation shoes.”

Mingyang tugged at her sleeve multiple times, but Shen Meng was too busy placing her orders to notice. Finally, he gave up.

After finishing her shopping, she moved to the butcher’s counter. She bought ribs, pork trotters, pig tails, and five pounds of pork belly. She continued adding to the pile until she had spent nearly 30 yuan.

Back at the cart, Guai Shu’s eyes widened at the mountain of goods she was loading. For most villagers, a single meal with meat was a luxury. But here she was, buying enough to last a family an entire year.

“Jinghao, I bought a few pork trotters. Add some soybeans and make a stew. You need the nutrition right now.”

Jinghao smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Sister-in-law!”

Guai Shu nodded to himself. Ah, so it’s for Jiasheng’s wife. Makes sense. Pregnant women need to eat well.

After the cooperative, they headed to the state-run restaurant. Shen Meng tried to bring Guai Shu along, but he clung to the cart and refused, insisting he couldn’t join them. She didn’t press further, leading Jinghao and the children inside.

The restaurant was large, and the children, as well as Jinghao, felt out of place, following Shen Meng closely and not daring to stray. For Jinghao, this was her first time in such an establishment.

Shen Meng ordered: a plate of braised fish, stir-fried sour potato strips, ten meat buns, and five bowls of noodles.

The portions were generous, and the children struggled to finish their noodles. The buns and half the potato strips were left untouched.

Packing up the leftovers, Shen Meng also ordered ten steamed buns and a portion of braised pork to take home.

Outside, she handed Guai Shu two meat buns. He hesitated but accepted, touched by the gesture.

Afterward, they visited the photo studio. Everyone took individual black-and-white photo and a family photo before heading home, tired but happy.