Chapter 29

Han Changfeng worked overtime, and though he could have kept working without coming home, he was worried about Jiang Ruan. He brought breakfast back with him, only to find out that Jiang Ruan had returned the night before.

Han’s mother said, “Why don’t you go and bring your sister back? As for Qingqing, your father and I have discussed it, and we’ve decided to transfer her guardianship to your uncle. You know that Tianming likes Qingqing. Changing their arranged marriage would be unfair to all three of the children.”

“Was it Han Qingqing’s suggestion?” Han Changfeng asked.

“She did mention it, but I think it’s a good idea.”

“I’ll go ask Uncle what he thinks,” Han Changfeng replied.

Seeing her son’s cooperative attitude today, Han’s mother thought she’d finally come up with a perfect solution and eagerly awaited the good news.

Han Changfeng went to his uncle’s house and told him about what had been happening over the past few days.

Uncle Han Huaiye, who had always favored Jiang Ruan, especially after she saved him and his wife, was furious. “Your mother is being unreasonable. I won’t adopt an outsider. Tell your mother to keep quiet.”

Han Changfeng explained to his uncle that Jiang Ruan was strong-willed; when she said she wouldn’t come back home, she meant it.

Even if the whole world abandoned his sister, he wouldn’t let go.

He continued, “Uncle, I remember that when I was a child, the family once considered letting Yunqing be adopted by you. But that was before everything changed and the plan was dropped. Forget about Yunqing; why not adopt me instead? And let Ruan Ruan be adopted too, that way we would still be brother and sister. What do you think?”

The elderly couple had indeed considered adopting before. Even if they didn’t adopt, they had always planned to leave their possessions to the children in Han Changfeng’s family. Now, with the prospect of having both a son and a daughter, Han Huaiye could barely contain his joy. His wife, although equally happy, was still worried. “Your parents might not agree to this,” she said.

“If Uncle agrees, I will speak to my father,” Han Changfeng assured her.

…

Qin Yan gave Jiang Ruan her second task: to find Shen Yuzhen. In the past, he had thought about how to get Shen Yuzhen to leave, but now he had an idea of where to send her instead.

Since Mu Xuehui was so eager for a stepmother, why not give her one? With a stepmother and two half-brothers, Mu Xuehui wouldn’t have the time or energy to meddle in other people’s business.

Jiang Ruan went directly to Shen Yuzhen’s house. The living conditions there were even worse than at Jiang Ruan’s crowded courtyard—a low, shabby shack. Jiang Ruan couldn’t believe it. “Uncle Qin’s colleagues collect 70 yuan for you every month, and renting a two-bedroom apartment only costs 10 yuan. How can you live here?”

Seventy yuan was indeed a considerable amount, but Shen Yuzhen didn’t receive the full amount.

She recognized Jiang Ruan, the young nanny from Chief Engineer Qin’s household. Despite Qin’s stern demeanor, he was always kind to this girl.

Shen Yuzhen, who had endured hardships herself, opened up, “Don’t be fooled by my outward appearance. I’m actually worse off than you. You only have to worry about yourself, but I have two children to look after. My in-laws demand 35 yuan a month from me, or they threaten to take away my sons. I have no choice.”

“You’re the children’s mother. How could they take them away?” Jiang Ruan asked.

“Exactly. But because I’m their mother, I can’t risk a direct confrontation,” Shen Yuzhen replied.

Without a stable income, her in-laws used that against her, claiming that without payment, they would take their grandsons away.

“This is why I’m looking for a decent man from another city. If I wasn’t so desperate, I wouldn’t be trying to steal someone else’s husband.”

Jiang Ruan didn’t believe her. Shen Yuzhen was good-looking and could still remarry, even with two children. She just had high standards and didn’t settle for ordinary men. But that didn’t justify trying to steal someone else’s husband.

“I’m not here to hear your complaints,” Jiang Ruan said. “Brother Qin Yan said he could introduce you to a decent man, but only if you give up the idea of working at Uncle Qin’s company as a cafeteria cook.”

Shen Yuzhen was startled that Qin Yan knew about her plans. It was Mu Xuehui’s mother who had suggested the idea after the two women bonded over their mutual struggles post-divorce. She advised Shen Yuzhen to seek help from her late husband’s former colleagues and try to get a job in the cafeteria, where her looks might help her find a good match. The leadership had felt sorry for her and agreed to the plan. She had been waiting for Qin Zhengqing to return from his leave, hoping to “accidentally” meet him on the way.

“Where is this person?” Shen Yuzhen asked.

“He’s outside, playing with your two boys,” Jiang Ruan replied.

…

Shen Yuzhen was quite afraid of Qin Yan. He was as handsome as his father but had a dark, intimidating aura that made her uneasy. Even though he was just playing with her sons, she couldn’t help but worry he might have put something harmful in the candy he gave them. But the two boys liked him, calling him “big brother” eagerly.

Jiang Ruan took the boys to the corner store to buy some snacks.

Qin Yan got straight to the point, “Mu Xuehui’s mother didn’t give you good advice. It will only ruin your reputation at the research institute. Besides, your in-laws won’t allow you to take the kids so far away. Children bond with whoever raises them. If you marry someone else and come back disgraced, your sons might not even recognize you.”

“Not all men at the institute are married. What makes you think I wouldn’t find a husband?” Shen Yuzhen argued.

Qin Yan smirked, “You might, but as long as you stay away from my dad, I won’t mind. But if you come to my house, are you not worried that I would spend the next ten years turning your sons into useless good-for-nothings?”

Shen Yuzhen’s heart trembled. She hadn’t thought of that.

She hesitated, “What kind of man could you introduce me to?”

“Mu Yongwang, the doctor,” Qin Yan said.

“But he’s my friend’s ex-husband,” she replied.

Qin Yan sneered, “You didn’t hesitate to go after your late husband’s colleague, and now you’re concerned about your friend’s ex-husband? Dr. Mu is kind-hearted. When his wife cheated on him, he didn’t take everything from her during the divorce. There aren’t many men like that. With his boss Liao Chunxing getting fired, Mu will be promoted soon. He only has one daughter, who’s about to take her college entrance exams. If you don’t act now, you might lose your chance after the exams.”

“But Dr. Mu is too short; he isn’t even 1.7 meters tall,” Shen Yuzhen protested.

Qin Yan chuckled, “Are you looking for someone good-looking or someone practical? Given your current situation, finding a man who’s willing to treat Dabao and Xiaobao like his own would be a better deal.”

Qin Yan only met Shen Yuzhen once, but Jiang Ruan followed up for two more days. She came back and told Qin Yan that Shen Yuzhen’s two sons had the flu, and this time, instead of going to the cheaper community clinic, she took them to the city hospital, where Dr. Mu arranged for their hospitalization and even helped carry the children around.

Jiang Ruan remarked, “Dr. Mu is really kind-hearted.”

“Indeed,” Qin Yan said. “I found him a beautiful wife to make up for the fact that he doesn’t have a son. He should be thanking me.”

Jiang Ruan was speechless. Brother Qin Yan could be ruthless when dealing with bad people, but he never harmed the innocent. Regardless of whether Qin Yan was a good person or not, Jiang Ruan would always help him out.

…

The results of the mock exam at No. 2 High School came out. Qin Yan ranked in the top 30 in the entire school, which greatly pleased Qin Zhengqing. If Qin Yan could maintain this level, getting into a regular college wouldn’t be an issue. He had even discussed with his wife about hiring a male caregiver to carry Qin Yan around campus if he was admitted to university.

Miao Shufang was both delighted and skeptical, saying that Qin Yan was too proud. He was taking the college entrance exam to prove that he could get in, but it didn’t mean he would agree to attend university in a wheelchair.

Qin Yan squeezed his legs, noticing that he could feel sensations in them for longer periods. Out of caution, he hadn’t told his parents. He didn’t want Mu Xuehui, who had been reborn, to know just yet, and he was afraid of disappointing his parents if his progress stopped. He slowly stood up while leaning on the desk; with the help of his hands for support, he could now stand for about a minute.

Jiang Ruan suggested that he needed more exercise, so Qin Yan practiced standing more than ten times a day.

The door opened, and Jiang Ruan walked in, carrying a tub for a medicinal foot soak. Seeing Qin Yan practicing standing, she closed the door with her foot and said, “Brother Qin Yan, soak your feet first.”

Qin Yan could now fully feel the pressure during massages. With just over a month left until the college entrance exam and another two months of summer break afterward, if he got admitted, he would have roughly three months to recover.

He couldn’t help but ask Jiang Ruan, “How long do you think it will take before I can stand up and walk?”

“Two or three months,” Jiang Ruan replied. “Uncle Qin’s vacation is ending, and he’s going back to the research institute. Do you want to share the good news with him?”

“Not yet. I’m keeping this a secret for a reason. By the way, has Han Changfeng come to see you these past two days?”

“No, he probably doesn’t want to acknowledge me as his sister. But I don’t blame him; Officer Han is a good person.”

Qin Yan thought otherwise. Han Changfeng was likely handling the situation, and if he hadn’t resolved things, he wouldn’t have the confidence to face his sister.

Qin Yan had talked to Shen Yuzhen a few days ago, and she had already started taking action. While her sons were in the hospital, she made extra meals and brought them to Dr. Mu, who was Mu Xuehui’s father. There were already signs of something developing between them, so there was no need to follow up any further.

But another matter hadn’t progressed. Why hadn’t the police found the other aggrieved family yet?

Before the end of the day, Jiang Ruan asked for her reward. She had her eye on a gift Qin Yan had received while he was in the hospital. The box of malted milk extract was worth over 40 yuan at the department store, and Qin Yan didn’t drink it.

Pointing at the box, Jiang Ruan said, “Brother Qin Yan, can I have that malted milk extract as my payment?”

Without even looking up, Qin Yan replied, “Take it, take both boxes.”

As Jiang Ruan was leaving, Han Changfeng’s matter was almost resolved. Based on Jiao Wenbin’s confession, Liao Chunxing had used his position to swap Jiang Ruan’s sister-in-law’s newborn after childbirth. The swapped child had now been found.

At this moment, Han Changfeng was speaking to Jiang Ruan’s brother, sister-in-law, and the family who had been found. “Liao Chunxing denies the accusation, claiming that Jia Wenbin is framing him. Although there’s no concrete evidence, the children’s appearance and blood types speak for themselves. Two parents with type A blood cannot have a child with type B. You two families should discuss the matter. I have an important personal issue to attend to.”

…

Jiang Ruan had only slept on the floor in Qin Yan’s room the night before last, without even Qin Yan’s parents knowing. She was still staying at Grandma Huang’s house.

Tonight, Han’s mother came to the crowded courtyard, and Jiang Ruan worried she was here to take her back. But it turned out she wasn’t. She came to discuss adoption arrangements with the Jiang family.

Han’s uncle, whom Jiang Ruan had saved, wanted to adopt Han Qingqing. This left Jiang Ruan feeling slightly uncomfortable, but who Han’s uncle chose to adopt was his own business and had nothing to do with her.