“Sis, if you want to adopt, I won’t stop you. But if you adopt and then, after having your own child, refuse to keep her, I’ll tell you, we won’t be sisters anymore,” Chen Lina said, holding Chen Lili’s hand.

“Look at what you’re saying. Do you think your sister is some kind of person? But, indeed, it seems like the director likes working couples, since two salaries can better support a child and pay for their education,” Chen Lili replied.

“If you really adopt her, I’ll pay for her tuition,” said Chen Lina.

She was determined that Liu Xiaohong should not end up like her previous life.

Just as Chen Lili was about to take a step forward, feeling very emotional, the couple who had been sitting in the corner wiping their tears stepped forward instead.

“Child, my child,” the woman walked over step by step, kneeling directly in front of Liu Xiaohong. “Don’t be afraid, okay? From now on, you’ll have a family.”

“Hello, Engineer Song. You’re the leader of the No. 3 oil well’s underground operations team, right?” Director Guan said, standing up to shake the man’s hand.

When Chen Lina heard the surname Song, she felt a chill run through her.

“My wife, Xue Xiaoyue, used to be a housewife. She self-studied to become a red specialist and now works as a cashier in the finance office at our No. 3 base. She cannot have children, and I deeply love her. We have always regretted not having a child,” Engineer Song explained as he gently placed his arm around his wife’s shoulder. The gesture made it clear how much he loved her.

Director Guan shook Xue Xiaoyue’s hand, noticing she was crying so hard she could barely manage herself. “You really love children. Let me see your paperwork first. I need to check the diagnosis from the hospital to see if it’s true that she can’t have children.”

The woman had prepared all her documents—a large stack from the mining area’s health clinic, Uru City Hospital, the provincial hospital, and even Beijing Union Medical College Hospital’s diagnoses.

Clearly, this couple had been to great lengths to seek a child.

“Ovarian infertility, this really can’t be treated. However, it’s a problem only with the woman. We are also concerned, as if the man divorces and remarries, has his own children, and you, as a single mother, would find it difficult to raise a child on your own,” Director Guan added.

Engineer Song, whose name was Song Jin, took a step forward.

One arm was around his wife, and the other was around Liu Xiaohong.

He gently touched her forehead and said, “Xiaohong, your mom and I came to the frontier because of our ideals. Your mom’s condition isn’t a big deal.

I’m confident that my love for her will never change. Of course, if you’re willing to join our family, I promise to love you just as much as I love her.”

Liu Xiaohong was surrounded by their intense, showy love but still kept glancing at Chen Lina.

Clearly, she was hoping for Chen Lina to speak up.

Chen Lili, mimicking the Song family’s actions, handed over her own medical records, Wang Hongbing’s profile, and her household registration certificate.

“I won’t say anything too flattering, but I just want to say that as long as the child is with me, even if Wang Hongbing and I divorce again in the future, I will still raise her well,” she said.

Director Guan frowned, “You’ve divorced once? Was it because of the child?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Wang Hongbing quickly explained. “It was for other reasons. I didn’t want to burden my wife.”

“Comrade Wang Hongbing, your thinking is problematic. A married couple should share both difficulties and joys.

You divorced when you faced difficulties, and now that things are better, you’ve remarried.

But what if in the future you face an even bigger problem? Will you divorce again?” Director Guan asked, placing Chen Lili’s household registration certificate gently on the table.

“I think you should all agree on things first before we continue discussing the adoption,” she added.

The three kids were getting impatient and almost jumped up.

Er Dan kept asking Chen Lina for hugs, “Mom, Xiaohong Jie is ours.”

“Director Guan, the adoption really depends a lot on the child’s opinion.

There are so many people here in our family already.

The kids are all here. I just want to say that although my brother-in-law was wrong the last time he divorced, I believe he won’t make the same mistake again.

Our family isn’t just the two of them—my parents and I are all very eager to adopt Liu Xiaohong. I am the director of Mulan Farm. My name is Chen Lina,” she said.

“Oh, Director Chen, I’ve heard about the cucumbers and water radishes you’ve sent to the welfare institute through the educated youth. They’re really delicious,” Director Guan’s expression softened.

“Thank you for always asking the educated youth to send vegetables. I want to thank you on behalf of the children.”

However, Wang Hongbing and Chen Lili stood there like two pieces of wood.

The Song couple was crying as one held onto the child while the other tied a flower headband onto her.

At that moment, they didn’t show any signs of discomfort but were just watching Chen Lina.

“Director Chen, it’s not wrong to ask the child’s opinion, but our welfare institute has a policy.

For children over ten, we can ask their opinion. For children under ten, we have to make the decision for them.

After all, children under ten don’t have the ability to choose for themselves. I can confidently say that I am selecting the most suitable adoptive family for her,” Director Guan explained.

Director Guan stood up and said, “If you truly want to adopt, I will record it for future reference.

When a suitable child comes up for adoption, I’ll notify you immediately. But for now, it seems that the Song couple is the most suitable for adoption.

Now I have to go cook for the children; we only have one aunt in the kitchen, so it’s quite busy. After lunch and the children’s nap, the Song couple can handle the adoption formalities.”

This directly rejected Chen Lina and her sisters.

Mrs. Song was delighted and hugged her husband in front of the children, saying, “Dear, we are about to have a child!”

“Yes, when I saw her, all I felt was an overwhelming love. I want to give her everything,” Mr. Song replied.

The three little ones and Chen Lili were so angry, they were almost ready to jump uand glare at them.

Chen Lina rolled her eyes and muttered, “Pfft, I used to watch those romance dramas like Mingyue Gege and Taohua San Nong, and it almost messed up my brain.

Always talking about love, almost tortured Old Nie to death.

These two haven’t watched those life-destroying shows, so why are they being so nauseatingly melodramatic?” She shivered, calling them pretentious.

When it was time to leave the welfare center, Liu Xiaohong somehow managed to sneak out and quietly stopped Nie Weimin, calling him, “Weimin, Weimin.”

“I don’t want to go to that family. Aunt Chen’s family is really good, and the farm is our territory. If I give the signal, no one will bully me there,” Liu Xiaohong said.

“Director Guan suggested I go with the Song parents, but I don’t want to go to the No. 3 base. I don’t need so much love; love isn’t useful if it can’t fill my stomach, right? I can cook and wash clothes. I want to be with you.”

“Don’t worry, my mom will have a way,” Nie Weimin said confidently. “You’re not a three-year-old anymore. Don’t cry. Just wait.”

Before they left, Liu Xiaohong, feeling troubled, stood still for a moment, then took two White Rabbit candies from her pocket and pointed them at Nie Weimin’s nose, saying, “Be careful, these can stick to your teeth. When eating, don’t bite them with your front teeth, you have to slowly suck on them with your tongue.”

After speaking, she ran off.

At the State-Owned Youth Restaurant, they ordered lamb noodle pieces, something the children rarely ate, but since the noodles were thin, they ate it quickly.

The hand-pulled noodles at the restaurant were made by several women, who skillfully dropped them into the pot, while lean lamb pieces, green peppers, onions, and tomatoes were stir-fried to release their juices.

The noodles were then mixed in, creating a deliciously chewy dish.

“Sis, what should we do? We couldn’t adopt that child, and I just feel awful,” Chen Lili said, unable to eat.

She was still worried about Liu Xiaohong.

“Once you’ve decided on a child, you can’t forget them. I feel like the Song couple isn’t right for her,” Chen Lina replied.

Just then, the Song couple entered the restaurant to eat.

“How about we order a plate of cucumbers? That garlic cucumber looks so good,” Mrs. Song said, eyeing the sour, garlicky cucumbers, saliva dripping from her mouth.

“Would you die if you didn’t have cucumbers?” Mr. Song scowled at her.

Mrs. Song, still craving them, swallowed her saliva but didn’t ask for the cucumbers.

Instead, they sat in the corner, each with a bowl of noodles.

Chen Lina’s eyes were sharp, almost like an x-ray.

After all, she had seen so many people in her life, and she could see through the facade of men, noticing their internal filth.

Mr. Song then approached her and said, “Director Chen, adoption is a matter of fate. If we get her, you can wait for the next time. There will always be a suitable, pretty little girl. Ah, Xiaohong is so cute, like a ripe peach.”

Chen Lina, who was serving food and feeding the whiny San Dan, accidentally spilled a bowl of noodles onto Mr. Song’s head.

“Using the word ‘peach’ to describe a little girl? Mr. Song, that’s not an appropriate adjective,” she said sharply.

Chen Lina, who had a strong hunch about Mr. Song, now fully believed that he was the same Song who had abused Liu Xiaohong, forcing her to work in the provincial capital at such a young age.

“Director Chen, please hold your bowl properly, look at my clothes!” Mr. Song snapped, clearly angry.

Chen Lina, holding a napkin, waved it in a mock apology. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Song, I wasn’t careful. What’s the big deal? I’ll wipe it for you, won’t that solve it?”

“Look at my hair!”

Chen Lina couldn’t help but think to herself, If I had some manure, I would pour it on you.

“Do you need me to help you wash your hair?” she asked, mischievously grabbing a handful of chili oil from the table and rubbing it all over his head.

Mr. Song, who hadn’t expected this, stood there stunned.

He was too busy enjoying the beauty of Chen Lina, the most gorgeous woman in the mining area, to resist.

Soon, the chili oil burned his eyes, causing him to shut them tight.

In a sudden outburst, Song Jin shed his intellectual pretense and began kicking chairs and throwing bowls. “Director Chen, you smeared chili oil in my eyes!” he shouted angrily.

“No, I probably got some chili oil on my hand when I was serving it earlier. Oh, I’m sorry,” Chen Lina apologized, but Song Jin was beyond reason.

“I’ll fuck your mother!” he yelled as he charged at her, but in his rush, he tripped over a chair and fell, struggling in the noodles scattered on the floor.

Chen Lina turned around and saw that Nie Weimin, who had been sitting next to her, was still in his eating position, but his chair had been knocked over.

“This uncle is really fierce,” Chen Lina said, handing three yuan to Nie Weimin and signaling the children to leave. “Let’s go.”

Wang Hongbing picked up one child, Chen Lili carried another, and the family quickly evacuated.

After leaving the welfare center, they made their way to the local supply and marketing cooperative to check the vegetable supply.

At the farm’s stand, the vegetable section was empty, and people were asking specifically for cucumbers, water radishes, and water celery from the Mulan Farm, as other market vegetables were deemed substandard.

“Ask Awal Guli if she can get the farm workers to work overtime and grow more,” the store clerk suggested.

Wang Hongbing teasingly called out, “Come on, Awal Guli, it’s you they want!”

Chen Lina covered the child’s mouth, embarrassed, and the family moved on to the state-run store.

At the store, Chen Lina stopped to look at watches.

She was wearing a Meihua watch, a gift from Nie Bozhao, and as she was inspecting one, she ran into two women from the cultural troupe she had met at the hot springs.

One of them, who appeared to be in her thirties, mentioned a Meihua watch she had been promised by a higher-up, but that the watch was later lost to a bet with Nie Bozhao, a legendary figure from their university.

Upon hearing Nie’s name, Chen Lina’s ears perked up.

The women spoke highly of Nie Bozhao, calling him handsome and a well-regarded figure in their school.

Chen Lina, feeling uneasy, quietly vowed to attend his class reunion and show up to outshine those women, making them regret ever holding onto their memories of him.

Afterward, at the welfare center, Song Jin confronts Chen Lina again, his mood still heated. “We’ve completed the adoption paperwork; the child is ours now. You have no more ties to her,” he says, pointing aggressively at her.

Chen Lina, who had just bought popsicles for the children, replies with a chilling smile, “Mr. Song, children aren’t trophies. We’re not adopting the child, but Xiaohong has a special connection with us. The three kids just want to witness her finding a new home.”

The conversation escalates, and Chen Lina feels compelled to confront the Song couple and expose their lies.

As Song Jin gets closer to Xiaohong, she intervenes.

When the adoption papers are being filled out, Chen Lina makes a drastic move.

With a swift action, she pulls a sharp fruit knife and rips the back of Mrs. Song’s shirt, intending to unveil their true nature.