Chapter 31: Even If She Remarries, I Wouldn’t Have the Heart to Stop Her

When Zhou Linglan returned home, it was only natural that a mother-son reunion took place.

Su Taotao cooked together with Fu Yuanhang, while Chenchen “helped” by causing a bit of chaos. Zhou Linglan took the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart with her eldest son.

“If you don’t come back, that’s one thing, but not even willing to write more than a few words in your letters or say something more intimate. If you upset Taotao and she leaves, where will you find another wife as good?”

Su Taotao’s transformation was evident to Fu Zhengtu, but hearing Zhou Linglan say this still came as a bit of a surprise. In the past, Su Taotao’s temper hadn’t been the best, and their relationship had been far from ideal. Most of the time, it was Zhou Linglan who had made concessions. Before he left, he had even told her not to accommodate Su Taotao in everything.

It seemed that during his time away, the bond between the two women had grown significantly.

“Thank you for your hard work.” These four words carried all the unspoken emotions, given that his job kept him away from home.

Zhou Linglan had been a widow for over a decade, enduring many hardships, and was used to her husband and son being away. Lately, she had been living the sweetest days of her life and couldn’t bring herself to complain.

She shook her head with a smile. “With Taotao managing everything at home, my life has been like soaking in a honey jar. It’s Taotao who’s really working hard.”

Zhou Linglan paused and eventually added, “If your Uncle Fu’s family comes asking for favors again, try to refuse if you can.”

When Fu Dabo bought the tractor for the production team (a collective farming unit), he took all the credit without acknowledging her son’s contributions. He also hadn’t treated them well.

Although Su Taotao had attempted suicide by jumping into the river, and the Fu family had helped them, Zhou Linglan decided to let it go and wouldn’t speak ill of them anymore. However, she wouldn’t allow her son to be taken advantage of again.

Fu Zhengtu understood immediately. He knew his mother well, and it was clear that during his absence, Uncle Fu’s family hadn’t been up to any good.

Zhou Linglan recounted the good things that had happened at home over the past two years, skipping over the less favorable aspects of “Su Taotao” from before. She simply mentioned, “She was just unaccustomed and had a hard time during the first two years after you left, being pregnant and nursing the baby,” and then continued with all the good deeds Su Taotao had done since she had come into their lives. She laughed frequently as she recounted these stories, especially when talking about Chenchen, her face beaming with pride.

Su Taotao was good to everyone in the family, knew how to raise and educate children, and even earned money to support the household. She treated Fu Yuanhang like her own son, raising and educating him equally well. Zhou Linglan’s words were filled with gratitude and emotion.

The more Fu Zhengtu listened, the more his brows furrowed. The Su Taotao described by Zhou Linglan didn’t overlap at all with the Su Taotao he remembered. Her transformation was truly immense.

He had almost forgotten what Su Taotao had been like when she married him. His memories of her had been entirely replaced by the current Su Taotao.

Hearing that Su Taotao had gone to the county to find work and support the family, Fu Zhengtu’s guilt reached its peak.

He didn’t care much for material wealth and lived entirely within his unit, unaware of the cost of meat or how many ration tickets were needed to buy cloth. He thought leaving a sum of money and ration tickets would be enough to ensure their livelihood. He hadn’t expected that after Chenchen’s birth, the expenses would be so great that Su Taotao would need to find ways to supplement the household income.

In truth, this wasn’t Fu Zhengtu’s fault. The money and ration tickets he left were indeed enough for several years of comfortable living, assuming the original Su Taotao hadn’t spent it all recklessly.

Fu Zhengtu was not one to reveal his thoughts easily, and Zhou Linglan, unaware of what he was thinking, couldn’t help but add, “Zhengtu, promise me you won’t disappear for two or three years again. Taotao has a strong will. If you do, even if she decides to remarry and takes Chenchen with her, I wouldn’t have the heart to stop her.”

Zhou Linglan’s words were somewhat provocative, but she knew her son was a workaholic. She worried that if she didn’t make it sound serious, he wouldn’t prioritize Taotao and Chenchen, as evidenced by his brief letters. She genuinely couldn’t defend him by saying he cared for them.

“Mother, please rest assured. I’ve changed positions, and the base has been built. If you’re willing, I plan to bring you with me this time when I return.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Linglan’s heart pounded with excitement, and she grabbed her son’s hand in surprise. “Are you saying it’s true? That Taotao and Chenchen can stay by your side?”

Zhou Linglan clasped her hands in gratitude. “Thank the heavens, thank our ancestors for watching over us. I won’t have to worry about Taotao and Chenchen leaving our family anymore.”

“You and Yuanhang will come too,” Fu Zhengtu emphasized.

This time, Zhou Linglan shook her head. “I’m still young and don’t want to intrude on your family life. When I grow old and can’t work anymore, we’ll see. As for Ah Hang, you should ask him yourself. If he’s willing and Taotao is willing to take him, then let him go. He can also help Taotao take care of Chenchen.”

Zhou Linglan understood that Su Taotao would most likely take Fu Yuanhang with her. She had said before that it would be a waste to let Fu Yuanhang’s potential go unnoticed in this small village, where there were no opportunities for growth.

Now that this opportunity had come up, she would certainly take Fu Yuanhang with her, if he was willing.

Fu Yuanhang didn’t expect his mother to think this way. “Mother…”

How could he possibly leave her here alone?

Zhou Linglan shook her head. “Zhengtu, I’ve spent my whole life taking care of you and your brother. If I have the chance to have some peace and quiet and take time for myself to reflect, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. In a few years, when I’m older, I’ll naturally live with you. I can’t bear to be apart from Taotao and Chenchen for too long, but for now, I need this time to myself.

You and Taotao have missed out on so much time together, and the same is true with Chenchen. I hope you’ll all get more time to bond. Taotao and Chenchen are too good to lose. No matter what you think, you need to treat them right, or I won’t consider you my son.”

Zhou Linglan was not a native rural woman. She came from a scholarly family and was well-educated from a young age. When she was around eight or nine, she was kidnapped, fell seriously ill, and lost many of her memories after that. It was only after wandering around that she ended up with Fu Zhengtu’s father.

Otherwise, they would have been two people who would never have met in a million years.

Both Fu Zhengtu and Fu Yuanhang were personally educated by Zhou Linglan. Although she didn’t show it outwardly, outsiders thought Zhou Linglan was weak and easily bullied. But that was because no one had truly pushed her to her limits. Fu Zhengtu knew what she meant, and even more, he knew that once she made up her mind, there was almost no changing it.

At the end, Zhou Linglan added, “Don’t worry about telling her right away. Rest for a few days. In a few days, I’ll talk to Taotao about it. She’ll understand where I’m coming from.”

What else could Fu Zhengtu say?