Jiang Qiuyue had a habit of taking an hour-long nap after lunch.  

The house was stuffy, so she moved the lounge chair to a shaded spot outside. The natural breeze made it much more comfortable.  

Hearing the sound of the door opening, she assumed the children had woken up. Without opening her eyes, she called out, “Is it Beibei or Nannan? Don’t go out at noon—you’ll get heatstroke.”  

As she spoke, she pulled the cattail leaf fan down slightly to block the sunlight.  

“It’s me.”  

The man’s voice was deep, unfamiliar yet familiar to Jiang Qiuyue. A face flashed in her mind, and she abruptly sat up.  

The fan covering her face fell to the ground with a *thud*. Jiang Qiuyue stared straight at the man standing at the door.  

Damn, he’s so handsome?! 

In her memory, the man had only been a vague figure, but now he stood before her in sharp clarity. She rubbed her eyes.  

Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, deep and well-defined features, and a bronze complexion that exuded rugged masculinity—his thick brows were slightly furrowed as he studied her in return.  

“You… why are you back all of a sudden?” Jiang Qiuyue instinctively adjusted her posture. Even the original host had barely spent any time with Lin Zhengrong, so she had no idea what to say, awkwardness flooding her.  

Lin Zhengrong was equally at a loss. Jiang Qiuyue was too pale—so pale it was dazzling, nothing like the plain woman he remembered.  

Had six years really changed a person this much?  

“Didn’t you write to say my parents were mistreating you and the kids?” From Lin Zhengrong’s perspective, Jiang Qiuyue’s sudden flurry of letters and complaints could only mean one thing: she wanted him back.  

If he hadn’t already asked the brigade leader for details, seeing Jiang Qiuyue like this now, he would’ve struggled to believe she’d been abused.  

Jiang Qiuyue quickly grasped the subtext of his words. Since Lin Zhengrong was already here, she needed to secure this money tree’s support.  

“Yes, I was truly driven to desperation.” Jiang Qiuyue sniffled twice. “You’ve been away in the army—you don’t know this, but ever since you left, your parents made me do all the housework. I had to wash the whole family’s clothes, cook, tend the vegetable patch, and still earn full work points. At first, I thought, ‘You’re working hard in the army, so I’ll fulfill your filial duties at home.’ When your mom demanded I hand over living expenses, I gave her everything. But who knew… sob… they’d call Beibei and Nannan ‘little bastards’ behind my back and treat me like their slave?”  

As she spoke, Jiang Qiuyue held out her hands. Though she hadn’t been out in the sun much recently and her skin had improved, the calluses hadn’t faded yet.  

“Look at my hands. Do you see how hard it’s been for me?” She forced out a tear.  

Lin Zhengrong frowned. “You gave them all the money I sent you?”  

“Yes.” Jiang Qiuyue cursed the original host inwardly for being so foolish, but since she *was* the original host now, she lowered her head and said, “I never expected your parents to be like this. They used the money to get your younger brother a wife, but when the family ate meat, the kids and I got none. Like I said in the letters, before I woke up to the truth, the children had never even tasted eggs.”  

Just then, Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan, woken by their voices, spotted the stranger in the yard. Rubbing his eyes, Beibei asked, “Mom, who’s this uncle?”

He put on his shoes and then helped his sister down. The two of them walked over to their mother’s side.  

Lin Zhengrong immediately noticed the injury on Lin Beibei’s arm. Jiang Qiuyue held a child in each arm and said, “This is your dad. Didn’t you say you missed him? He’s come back to see us.”  

“Dad? It’s really Dad?” Lin Beibei jumped up in excitement. “Is it really you?”  

Facing the children, Lin Zhengrong’s gaze softened slightly. “You’re Beibei, right? Come here, let me take a look. What happened to your arm?”  

His son resembled him as a child—chubby-cheeked but shorter than other kids his age. The thought of his adoptive parents refusing to feed the children properly darkened his expression again.  

Beibei was overjoyed to see his father. The man before him was exactly as he’d imagined—tall and strong. He immediately started complaining, “Auntie hit me! I was giving Zhuangzhuang some taro cakes, and Auntie tried to take them. When I wouldn’t let her, she pushed me. She’s bad! She used to hit me and Nannan all the time.”  

“Grandma’s bad too! She told Second Uncle that Nannan and I are ‘little bastards,’ not part of the Lin family, so we don’t get eggs or meat.”  

“Nannan doesn’t dare talk now because Grandma hit her. Grandma’s not a good person—I hate her!”  

Seeing his father, Beibei blurted out everything on his mind. As he spoke, his big eyes welled up with tears. “Dad, why did it take you so long to come back? If Mom hadn’t insisted on splitting from the family, Nannan and I would never have gotten to eat meat.”  

Lin Zhengrong could tell at a glance whether the child was lying. His fists clenched.  

He hadn’t expected his adoptive parents to be so cruel—how could they say such things to a child?  

His heart ached as he looked at the little girl clinging to Jiang Qiuyue, her eyes timid and afraid to meet his gaze.  

These are my children!

“Thankfully, Brigade leader and Auntie Niu helped me push for the family split.” Jiang Qiuyue sighed, side-eyeing Lin Zhengrong. The man’s veins bulged in anger. “Anyway, there’s no way I can keep living with your parents. What do you think?”  

She needed to sound him out first. Even if Lin Zhengrong was handsome and well-paid, if he turned out to be a blindly filial idiot, there’d be no point staying married.  

Seeing the situation at home firsthand, Lin Zhengrong realized Jiang Qiuyue hadn’t exaggerated in her letters. He took a deep breath. “Mom and Dad really have gone too far with their favoritism. I understand now. Since the family’s split, we’ll live separately from now on.”  

“Also, I’ve been giving them living expenses for six years. Even though we got two hundred back in the split, your parents will definitely try to guilt-trip you when they see you. Handle it however you see fit.”  

Jiang Qiuyue wanted to gauge what kind of man Lin Zhengrong was and how he’d react. “A while ago, Sanzhu’s girlfriend came to the house making a scene, demanding a two-hundred-yuan betrothal gift. Lin Xiao just graduated, and your mom’s already arranging a match for her. If it goes through, the dowry will cost a fortune too. Point is—they’re desperate for money.”  

The Lin family was in dire need of cash. Without Jiang Qiuyue’s contributions, they couldn’t even afford basic meals, let alone weddings and dowries.

At this moment, Wang Chunhua and the others were already rushing home. When villagers mentioned seeing Lin Zhengrong return, they abandoned their work points and ran back immediately.  

“Mom, do you think Big Brother got our letters and came back to stand up for us?” Lin Xiao couldn’t suppress her grin at the thought of her eldest brother’s return.  

Wang Chunhua said it must be so. “Your brother was raised by me, after all. He’s not as heartless as Jiang Qiuyue. With him here, we can finally get our revenge.”  

She had already planned it out—as soon as she saw her eldest son, she would complain about Jiang Qiuyue and make him give that woman a good beating.  

Qian Li, who had been at odds with the family recently, instinctively retorted, “Don’t celebrate too soon. What if Jiang Qiuyue already badmouthed us first? Who would Big Brother believe then?”  

“You jinx! What nonsense are you spouting? I’m Lin Dazhu’s mother—he has to listen to me!” Wang Chunhua glared at Qian Li. “Just wait and see. Dazhu never disobeyed me growing up. If I tell him to beat Jiang Qiuyue, he won’t refuse.”  

Lin Sanzhu, standing nearby, hurriedly added, “Mom, don’t forget to ask Big Brother for money.”  

Wang Chunhua certainly wouldn’t forget, but she still punched her youngest son. “Even if I get the money, I won’t let you marry Zhang Xiaomin. Drop that idea now. I’ve already checked—after Zhang Peng came to our house, he took Xiaomin around to meet other families. Whoever can cough up two hundred yuan, he’ll marry her off immediately. I want nothing to do with in-laws like that!”  

“But I only like Xiaomin!” Lin Sanzhu couldn’t forget Zhang Xiaomin. He was convinced she was being forced into these matchmaking meetings and that her heart still belonged to him.  

Seeing her son’s hopeless infatuation, Wang Chunhua slapped him hard. “Get lost already! Just looking at you pisses me off.”  

As they reached the house, Wang Chunhua instantly switched to a tearful expression. Wailing, she pushed open the door. “Dazhu! My dear son, why did it take you so long to come back? Your poor mother has been bullied half to death!”  

After years apart, Wang Chunhua didn’t immediately recognize her son. It wasn’t until Lin Erzhu called out “Big Brother” that she realized the tall man in the yard was her eldest.  

“Dazhu, you mustn’t believe Jiang Qiuyue’s lies!” Wang Chunhua rushed forward, trying to grab her son’s hand, but he dodged her. Obsessed with lodging her complaints, she failed to notice the scrutiny in Lin Zhengrong’s eyes. “Look at your sister’s face—Jiang Qiuyue hit her! And the bump on your brother’s forehead? That’s Jiang Qiuyue’s doing too! She’s a vicious shrew who beats her own family and even forced me to hand over all our savings!”  

“Those savings—were they the living expenses I sent to Qiuyue?” Lin Zhengrong asked coldly.  

“Don’t misunderstand! I was just worried Jiang Qiuyue would waste the money, so I helped save it for you.”  

Wang Chunhua pulled her daughter forward. “Look how swollen your sister’s face is!”  

Lin Xiao sniffled. “Big Brother, look what Jiang Qiuyue did to me!”  

“And why did she hit you?” Lin Zhengrong frowned.  

“I—I just couldn’t stand it! If Jiang Qiuyue had food, she should’ve shared it with the family first! I didn’t mean to push Beibei—he’s just little and lost his balance…” Under her brother’s piercing gaze, Lin Xiao suddenly faltered.  

Lin Zhengrong’s eyes turned icy. “You knew he was little, yet you still stole from him? Lin Xiao, seems you’ve never respected me as your elder brother.”  

He turned to his adoptive mother. “And Mom—what’s this about ‘little bastards’? What’s this about ‘slaves’?”  

Lin Zhengrong was a man who had truly been on the battlefield. When his expression darkened, the intimidation was palpable.

“I… I was just joking,” Wang Chunhua tried to brush it off. “Don’t dwell on that. What I’m telling you now is that Jiang Qiuyue is inhuman—you can’t send money to her anymore. You have to send it to me and your dad. We raised you, and now we’re counting on you to support us in our old age.”  

Neither Erzhu nor Sanzhu had been selected for the army—only their eldest son had made something of himself. There was no way they could let him slip away now.  

Lin Fugui sensed his eldest son’s displeasure and pulled his wife aside, adopting a solemn tone. “Let’s not talk about this yet. Dazhu, you just got back—there’s a lot you don’t know. But we’ll always be family, right?”  

Lin Zhengrong remained silent.  

Lin Sanzhu glanced at his father, then at his brother, and chimed in, “Yeah, Big Brother, remember when you used to take me fishing as a kid? We were so close back then.”  

Lin Erzhu nodded too. “Some things are better left in the past. Family shouldn’t keep score. Today’s a happy day—let Qian Li cook a couple of dishes, and we’ll sit down for a drink together.”  

Seeing his sons handle things smoothly, Lin Fugui smiled approvingly. “This is how family should be—harmonious.”  

He shot Wang Chunhua a warning glare. “Stop spouting nonsense. Dazhu is our son—he won’t abandon us.”  

If Lin Dazhu were truly on their side, he would’ve already confronted Jiang Qiuyue the moment Wang Chunhua criticized her.  

But he hadn’t.  

Lin Fugui knew they couldn’t let Wang Chunhua keep talking. If they really alienated Lin Dazhu, who would send them living expenses in the future?  

Lin Erzhu tried to pull Lin Zhengrong along, but his brother didn’t budge. Awkwardly, he said, “Big Brother, don’t stay mad at Xiao. She’s just a kid—still immature. It’s been so long since we’ve seen you—let’s catch up.”  

“Save the catching up for later.”  

By now, Lin Zhengrong fully understood his family’s intentions. “Go back first. I’ll come find you soon—some things need to be said outright.”  

“Big Brother, why wait? Come with us now,” Lin Erzhu urged cautiously, noticing his brother’s stiff expression.  

Lin Xiao was the most aggrieved. Weren’t they just here to complain and get Big Brother to beat Jiang Qiuyue? Why were Dad and her brothers shutting her and Mom up now?  

Lin Fugui studied his eldest son’s face, but years in the army had hardened the man into someone unreadable.  

“I said, go back first,” Lin Zhengrong repeated, his tone firmer.  

In the army, when he spoke like this, no one dared disobey. True to form, Lin Sanzhu sheepishly tugged at Lin Erzhu. “Let’s listen to Big Brother and wait for him at home.”  

Lin Fugui nodded. “Yes, we’ll do as Dazhu says.” He turned back to his son. “You’ve had a long journey—you should freshen up first.”

As he spoke, he turned to Jiang Qiuyue, adopting a tender tone. “Qiuyue, let’s not bring up the past anymore. We still have to live our lives going forward, and it’s not good for a family to make things too ugly. Some things your mother did were wrong, but as the younger generation, you should try to understand the hardships of the elderly.”  

“Dad, I don’t think Mom feels she was wrong at all,” Jiang Qiuyue retorted without holding back.  

“Jiang Qiuyue, are you looking for trouble?” Wang Chunhua, who had been holding back for a long time, immediately pointed at her.  

Jiang Qiuyue smiled. “Dad, do you see? Is this Mom’s attitude of admitting her mistakes?”  

Lin Fugui yanked Wang Chunhua’s arm hard. “Say less!”  

After the Lin family left, Jiang Qiuyue sat back down. “You saw it for yourself—Mom has no respect for me and doesn’t truly consider me family at all. Dad is all about appearances; he only steps in to smooth things over when his interests are affected. And as for Erzhu and Sanzhu’s little schemes, don’t tell me you didn’t notice?”  

There was a hint of resentment in her words. Logically speaking, Lin Dazhu should have returned home long ago after being away for so many years, and she wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.  

“I’m sorry.”  

“What?”  

Jiang Qiuyue thought she had misheard and looked up at Lin Zhengrong.  

“Not long after arriving at the military base, I was assigned a secret mission. After that, I was constantly on missions, and it wasn’t until a few months ago that things stabilized.”  

Lin Zhengrong explained sincerely. “I didn’t know they would go so far. I thought that by sending more money home each month, the three of you would be able to live decently. It’s my fault for neglecting the family, leaving you to endure so many years of hardship.”  

Jiang Qiuyue hadn’t expected an apology from Lin Zhengrong. She just wanted to gauge his attitude, since her future comfort depended on his support. After all, Lin Zhengrong would eventually return to the military, and they would go their separate ways again.  

Even though Lin Zhengrong was very handsome, she wasn’t so infatuated as to fall in love with him immediately. She knew clearly that money was what mattered most.  

Hearing Lin Zhengrong suddenly say “I’m sorry” left her at a loss for how to respond.  

“Now that we’ve separated from the family, this is for you.” Lin Zhengrong opened his backpack and took out a newspaper-wrapped passbook. “My expenses in the military are minimal. Aside from the living expenses I sent you, most of the money is here. I owe you, so you can spend this however you want.”  

When Jiang Qiuyue saw the number on the passbook, she could barely hold back a smile—it was nearly a thousand yuan!