Lin Xiaoxiao pulled on her clothes and stepped outside. Seeing Shanzi standing in the yard, his little lips purpled from the cold, her heart softened. "Xiaoling, bring him inside. It looks like Zhang Yimei really left him behind. Wang Wenju hasn't been back in days."

With the old woman still in the hospital, Wang Wenju simply hadn't had time to return.

Zhou Xiaoling checked to make sure no one was home next door before scooping the boy up under his arms and carrying him over.

Lin Xiaoxiao wasn't exactly experienced at comforting a crying child who only wanted his mother. She sat him down on a small stool. "Stop crying, alright? We'll have your dad come get you soon, okay?"

Shanzi didn't know Lin Xiaoxiao well. Something in her tone made him lower his cries to quiet whimpers. "Want Mommy."

Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at Zhou Xiaoling. "Go get Wang Wenju. We can't handle this."

After Zhou Xiaoling left, Lin Xiaoxiao found some candy and biscuits. She held them out to Shanzi. "If you stop crying, you can have these, deal?"

At the sight of the treats, the boy rubbed his tears away with the back of his hand and nodded. "Okay."

Bribing a child really was that simple. With a candy and a biscuit in hand, Shanzi sat happily on his little stool, momentarily forgetting about his mother.

Lin Xiaoxiao noticed how thin and dirty he looked—his face and hands grimy. Clearly, Zhang Yimei had been too distracted by the divorce to care for him properly.

She brought over a basin of water and gently washed his face and hands.

Shanzi was a quiet boy. He sat still and let her clean him, then went right back to munching on his biscuit.

Worried he might get cold, Lin Xiaoxiao found one of Zhou Huainan's fleece jackets and put it on him.

Watching the boy nibble happily, tears still glistening in his eyes, she sighed inwardly. Who would have thought Zhang Yimei could be so heartless? To just walk away from her own child...

The boy was the real victim in all this.

When Wang Wenju heard from Zhou Xiaoling that Zhang Yimei had abandoned Shanzi, he rushed home on leave. He found the boy sitting quietly at Lin Xiaoxiao's place.

"Thank you, sister-in-law," he said gratefully. "Thank you so much. I never thought she'd leave him behind..."

Just yesterday, during the divorce proceedings, Zhang Yimei had clung to the child and refused to let go. Who could have guessed she'd change her mind overnight?

Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head. "It's nothing. But how will you manage? Between work and the hospital, who's going to look after him? Maybe you should consider hiring a nanny?"

She could help for a day or two, but not indefinitely.

Wang Wenju nodded. "I'll figure something out. I can pay someone in the compound if they're willing."

"That could work," Lin Xiaoxiao agreed. "Now take him home and change his clothes. Don't let him catch a cold."

After Wang Wenju left with the boy, Zhou Xiaoling returned. "I never thought Zhang Yimei had it in her," she murmured.

Lin Xiaoxiao could guess Zhang Yimei's plan. "She's probably hoping to use the child as an excuse to see Wang Wenju again—maybe even reconcile. Life as a divorced woman won't be easy for her."

Her family would likely scorn her, and in these times, a divorced woman carried a heavy stigma.

She walked over to the calendar and tore off a page. "August 31st already. Your brother should be back soon."

It felt like he'd been gone for ages. She'd only received one letter and a telegram from when he first arrived.

His letter had been dry—like a work report. It detailed where he was staying in Beijing, what he'd seen, which places were nice. Not a single word missing her.

She and Zhou Xiaoling had even called the Zhou family, but Zhou Huaian was no longer staying there. He was busy with work—even Li Yunlan hadn't seen him lately.

It made Lin Xiaoxiao anxious. But now, counting the days, she finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel.

Zhou Xiaoling hated when Lin Xiaoxiao brought it up—she never knew how to comfort her. "I'm sure he'll be back as soon as he's done. I'm heading to work. What do you want for lunch?

Should I bring something from the canteen?"

"No need," Lin Xiaoxiao said. "I'll make dumplings. Come back at noon."

After Zhou Xiaoling left for work, Lin Xiaoxiao decided to pick vegetables from the garden. She'd dry some, pickle others—so they'd have food for winter.

She was in the middle of picking beans when Wang Wenju returned with Shanzi, looking uneasy.

"Sister-in-law, could you please watch Shanzi for just today? I'll find a nanny by this afternoon. Everyone else in the compound is too busy..."

He'd asked around, but no one was willing. They might pity the child, but they hadn't forgotten his mother.

Lin Xiaoxiao didn't really want to get involved either. But Wang Wenju was Zhou Huaian's subordinate, and he clearly had no other options. Reluctantly, she nodded. "Alright. But I've never really looked after a child before."

"He's usually well-behaved," Wang Wenju said quickly. "He can't quite feed himself yet, and he's still in split pants—you'll need to remind him to use the toilet."

Lin Xiaoxiao put down her basket and waved at Shanzi. "Shanzi, do you want to stay with me?"

The boy shook his head and clung to his father. He'd never been away from his mother before—all he wanted was her.

In the end, Wang Wenju had to pry the boy off and hurry away. Shanzi cried and tried to follow, but soon gave up and followed Lin Xiaoxiao back inside, sniffling.

Lin Xiaoxiao, mindful of her pregnancy, made sure to keep her distance and protect her belly—just in case the boy bumped into her.

She sat him on the small stool and offered another biscuit. "Sit still, okay? We'll have dumplings for lunch."

But this time, the bribe didn't work. Shanzi threw the biscuit on the ground and wailed for his mother.

Lin Xiaoxiao massaged her temples. If he weren't so pitiful, she might have spanked him already. She put on a stern face. "If you throw food on the ground again, I will spank you. Now pick it up, blow on it, and eat it!"

Her sharp tone startled him into silence. Tears in his eyes, he stared at her, realized she was serious, and carefully bent down to pick up the biscuit. He puffed his cheeks and blew on it hard.

Then he looked back at her, unsure.

Lin Xiaoxiao kept her expression firm. "No more crying. Eat properly, and later I'll give you some milk powder."

Shanzi sniffled quietly, not daring to make a sound, and took small bites of the biscuit.

Lin Xiaoxiao felt a flicker of satisfaction. When her own child was born, she thought, if they ever threw food or misbehaved, she wouldn't bother with those modern parenting theories about "love and understanding." Sometimes, a firm hand worked best.