If Wen Zhuqing found a way to sprinkle that powder on Yang Manman…
Then Yang Manman would become prey in the eyes of animals. If she went into the mountains teeming with wild beasts—or even just stayed in Huaihua Village—it wouldn’t be safe.
After all, Huaihua Village had its own share of dangers, with one or two stray dogs hiding in the hills. Though they usually kept to the mountains, they occasionally wandered down into the village.
Those dogs were practically rabid.
In these times when even people struggled to fill their bellies, the dogs were starving, their eyes gleaming with hunger.
If Yang Manman caught the attention of those vicious dogs, even a strong man might not escape unscathed—let alone a heavily pregnant woman like her.
“Mom, A-Ting, I…” Yang Manman clutched her belly, her eyes reddening.
Yao Chunhua immediately pulled her daughter-in-law into a hug. “Don’t be afraid, Eldest Daughter-in-Law.”
“Now that we’ve uncovered Wen Zhuqing’s scheme, there’s no way we’ll let him succeed.”
“Everything will be fine. And we’ll pay him back for every bit of it.”
After further discussion, the Gu family finalized their plan, ensuring it was foolproof before sitting down to eat.
…
After dinner, Gu Yunzhou went to the village committee to call Gu Jianing.
At that moment, aside from Gu Yunzhou, only Old Man Gu was keeping watch. In a hushed voice, Gu Yunzhou updated Gu Jianing on the recent developments.
“Third Brother, I understand. Let’s proceed as you’ve planned.”
“Alright.”
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he hung up.
At the Northwest Military District, after ending the call at the communications office, Gu Jianing headed straight for the military hospital.
Along the way, her expression darkened as she recalled what her third brother had said about Wen Zhuqing’s intentions.
“System, thank you.”
[Huh? Host, why are you thanking me?]
“For bringing me back to life, for binding with me, and for giving me so much.”
Gu Jianing was genuinely grateful. Without the system, she wouldn’t have had this second chance to make different choices.
And without the system’s rewards—
This life wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.
Without the invisible bulletproof vest, her brother Xi would have been seriously injured again. Without the Malice Detector, she and her family might have already fallen victim to someone’s schemes.
So, she truly owed the system her thanks.
[Host, there’s no need to thank me. Just focus on carrying your pregnancy to term, becoming a renowned healer, and bringing more children into the world.]
As long as Gu Jianing could complete these tasks, then the system’s own mission would also be accomplished—that was what the system most desired.
“Yes, I will.”
However…
Back in her office, Gu Jianing frowned slightly.
Yesterday, Qi Yuancheng, who had been coming for daily treatment without fail, unexpectedly didn’t show up.
She wasn’t sure why, and she didn’t know if he would come today either.
Had he given up on treatment?
That didn’t seem likely.
Had something happened to him?
In fact, something had happened in the Qi household—or, to be more precise, it wasn’t so much an accident as it was the arrival of some unwelcome guests.
At that moment, Qin Rou stared coldly at the little boy munching on biscuits and canned yellow peaches, her expression dark.
“Eldest Daughter-in-Law, why haven’t you started cooking yet? I’m starving.” A woman’s voice rang out from inside the room, dripping with entitlement.
And that room—wasn’t it hers and Ah Cheng’s?
Qin Rou hurried inside to find her mother-in-law, Bai Lanhua, rummaging through her wardrobe.
Her face paled. “Mom, that’s my wardrobe. What are you doing?”
“Goodness, you scared me! I’m looking for clothes—can’t you see?”
“I didn’t bring many clothes with me this time, and it’s cold. What’s wrong with borrowing yours for now?” As she spoke, she pulled out a woolen coat.
Qin Rou recognized that coat. It was a birthday gift from Qi Yuancheng last year—expensive, something she treasured and rarely wore. But now…
She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say a word, her mother-in-law had already slipped the coat on.
“This color suits an old woman like me just fine.”
“Qin Rou, why are you still standing around? Go cook. Ah Cheng will be back soon, and this laziness won’t do.”
“Oh, and I remember there’s a piece of meat in the kitchen cabinet. Make braised pork with it—Shuanzi loves that.”
“You’d better remember what Shuanzi likes to eat. After all, he’s going to be your son from now on.”
…
Qin Rou didn’t want to hear another word.
The moment she heard the words “Shuanzi is going to be your son,” she exploded with rage.
She couldn’t believe that despite their previous refusal, her mother-in-law was still scheming to force them to adopt her brother-in-law’s son—and now, she had even brought the boy, Shuanzi, directly to their home.
Before, Qin Rou had always blamed herself, enduring her mother-in-law’s harsh words in silence.
But now…
She was done enduring!
Without hesitation, she stepped forward, yanked the woolen coat off her mother-in-law’s body, stuffed it back into the wardrobe, and locked it with a key—all in one swift motion.
“I will not adopt Shuanzi.”
“Even if I couldn’t have children—which I can—I would never take him in.”
“Mom, if that’s your plan, you’d better take Shuanzi and leave right now.”
Her voice was firm, cold. This was the first time the timid, soft-spoken Qin Rou had mustered the courage to stand up to her mother-in-law.
Even a rabbit will bite when pushed too far.
And Qin Rou had suffered enough over the years.
Her sudden defiance left Bai Lanhua stunned. Clearly, she hadn’t expected her meek daughter-in-law to snap like this.
Just as she was about to retort, Qin Rou turned and stormed out of the room.
Then—
A sharp cry of pain came from outside.
Bai Lanhua rushed out and saw Qin Rou hitting Shuanzi with a clothes hanger.
As someone who doted on her three grandsons above all else, Bai Lanhua couldn’t bear to see her precious Shuanzi being beaten.
“AHHH—Qin Rou, you worthless bitch! You barren hen! How dare you hit my grandson!”
“You might as well kill me instead!”
She lunged forward to stop her. Under normal circumstances, Bai Lanhua might have been able to overpower Qin Rou.
But right now, Qin Rou was furious—and her strength had surged with rage.
Bai Lanhua, true to her name (“White Orchid”), had always been delicate and frail—a woman who never worked the fields, only handling light household chores. She was as weak as the flower she was named after.
So now, there was no way she could restrain Qin Rou in this state.
In fact, when she tried to intervene, the clothes hanger struck her too.
Bai Lanhua let out a piercing shriek.
In an instant, the old woman’s screams, curses, the child’s wails, and the chaos of the fight erupted—loud enough to echo clearly through the entire military family compound.
By the time Qi Yuancheng returned home, a crowd had already gathered outside his door.
As he got closer, voices reached him:
“Oh! Battalion Commander Qi, you’re back! Hurry and stop them—your mother and your wife are fighting!”
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