Lin Xiaoxiao was definitely telling on him—who told Zhou Huai'an to never look after himself properly and keep getting hurt?

The moment Li Yunlan heard her son was injured, her face fell with concern. She hurried over. "How were you hurt? Where is it? Is it serious? You foolish boy, why didn't you tell me?" As she spoke, she moved to lift his shirt.

Zhou Huai'an tried to dodge, but Lin Xiaoxiao held his arm firmly, helping Li Yunlan pull up his clothing. "Look, right here. And here. It was already festering when he got back. He didn't even seem to care if it healed properly."

Li Yunlan's eyes welled up as she gently touched the edge of the bandage. "How could you keep this from us? Does it still hurt?"

Zhou Huai'an shook his head. "It doesn't hurt anymore. Really, there's no need to worry. It'll be fine in a little while."

Zhou Zhennan had suspected that Huai'an's silent return meant something was wrong, but he hadn't expected such a serious wound. He sighed. "Rest well and be more careful next time." He couldn't very well tell his son to avoid danger—not in the line of work he'd chosen.

Tears welled in Li Yunlan's eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. This was a happy occasion—Xiaoxiao was pregnant. She took Lin Xiaoxiao's hand and led her to the inner room to show her all the things she'd bought.

They carried in suitcase after suitcase, opening them up on the bed. Lin Xiaoxiao stared, astonished, as the bed began to look like a small mountain of supplies—and Li Yunlan was still unpacking. "Mom, this is too much! How will we ever use all of this?"

Li Yunlan waved a hand dismissively. "I didn't have time to make the quilts and mattresses, but I figured we could make them here. This fabric is for baby clothes—and these are ready-made outfits. Good quality, too. You need proper nutrition now that you're pregnant, so you must drink this milk powder every day. Don't worry about the cost. Between your father's salary, mine, and Huai'an's, we can certainly provide for you and the baby."

She pulled out a stack of worn sheets from one of the suitcases. "These are old sheets from home—they make the best diapers. They've been washed so many times, they're soft and won't irritate the baby's skin."

Then came several little satin bibs in red and yellow. "I bought these in a hurry, but they're nice, aren't they? They'll keep the baby warm and are supposed to be lucky."

Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes grew moist as she watched Li Yunlan pull out item after item. "Mom, you've... you've prepared so much. You've really gone to so much trouble."

Ignoring her, Li Yunlan paused thoughtfully, then smacked her forehead and dug out two baby bottles. "I almost forgot these! I got them at the Friendship Store—you can't find ones this nice around here. If you don't have enough milk, the baby can have formula."

Overcome, Lin Xiaoxiao stepped forward and hugged her. "Mom, I'm so touched. I don't even know what to say. You treat me like your own daughter."

Hearing this, Li Yunlan thought of the woman they'd met in the provincial capital—the one who'd ignored her own daughter. And yet here was Lin Xiaoxiao, believing a mother should be kind. Calling her as good as a real mother. What a sweet, naive child.

Her heart ached even more for Lin Xiaoxiao. "Silly girl, of course we treat you well. You married our son—that makes you our child. Who else should we spoil? And you're giving us a grandchild!"

Lin Xiaoxiao smiled through her tears, imagining how her own mother would have been just as excited, would have brought just as much, had she known.

She hugged Li Yunlan tighter. "Mom, if you keep spoiling me like this, I'll become hopelessly proud."

Li Yunlan patted her back. "You be as proud as you want. Your father and I will always have your back."

Just then, Zhou Xiaoling walked in and froze at the sight of the embracing in-laws and the sea of belongings covering the floor and bed. "Good heavens, are you opening a store? What is all this?"

She stepped carefully around the boxes, examining everything in disbelief. "At this rate, my sister-in-law will have to have seven or eight kids to use all of this!"

Lin Xiaoxiao burst out laughing. Li Yunlan had indeed brought enough supplies for three or four children. The amount was staggering—who bought meters of fabric in every color for one newborn? Only someone from a family as comfortable as the Zhous could shop so lavishly. Most rural families wouldn't see this much new cloth in a lifetime.

Li Yunlan insisted it wasn't too much. "The child will grow. The fabric won't go bad. And some of this is for Xiaoxiao. You're going to university soon—you'll need nice clothes for that."

Lin Xiaoxiao was surprised. She had assumed that once the baby came, Li Yunlan wouldn't want her to pursue university—even if she didn't say it outright. What mother-in-law would want her daughter-in-law leaving her child to go to school? Yet here was Li Yunlan, not just accepting it, but actively preparing for it.

Zhou Xiaoling sorted through the fabrics, feigning hurt. "What about me, Mom? Didn't you get anything for me?"

Li Yunlan looked puzzled. "Why would I? Your unit provides uniforms. Besides, you have your own salary and fabric rations—you can buy what you need."

Zhou Xiaoling laughed. "Honestly, Mom, sometimes I think she's your real daughter, and I'm the one you found somewhere."

With a snort, Li Yunlan retorted, "Exactly. You were left on our doorstep."

Unfazed, Zhou Xiaoling held a deep blue fabric against herself. "This is pretty. It would make a lovely dress for Xiaoxiao."

Feeling a little embarrassed, Lin Xiaoxiao said, "If you like it, you should have it. I won't have much occasion to wear it. I should dress modestly for university—I'm there to study, not to show off."

Zhou Xiaoling quickly declined. "Mom bought it for you. Besides, I don't really like wearing dresses—they get in the way."

But Li Yunlan was pleased by Lin Xiaoxiao's humility. It showed good character. Still, a young woman ought to have nice things sometimes.

For lunch, the family decided to eat at the canteen in town rather than cook at home.

On their way out, they passed Li Yu hanging laundry. Lin Xiaoxiao greeted her, then glanced at Zhou Huai'an, silently asking if they should tell his parents about Zhou Xiaocheng. After a moment's thought, he nodded.

Before Lin Xiaoxiao could bring it up, however, Zhou Xiaoling had already looped her arm through Li Yunlan's and launched into an excited, chattering account of how Zhou Xiaocheng was still alive.

Zhou Zhennan looked stunned. Their own investigations had hit dead ends, clearly obstructed by someone who'd erased all traces of Zhou Xiaocheng's survival.

Li Yunlan, however, showed no reaction at first. She simply stared at Zhou Xiaoling. "What

nonsense are you talking? When did your second brother die? How can he 'come back to life'? He's been serving in the army all along."