Lin Xiaoxiao grew even more uneasy. If this uncle was as decent as he seemed, they would likely stay in touch—which only increased the risk of her brother's true identity being exposed.

Li Yunlan and Zhou Zhennan were still chatting about Cheng Mingzhong, clearly happier than Lin Xiaoxiao herself that she had found another relative.

After Cheng Mingzhong returned home, Cheng Mingyue learned he had visited Lin Xiaoxiao. Seeing his calm expression, she asked nervously, "You saw Xiaoxiao? Is she well?"

Cheng Mingzhong studied her in silence for a long moment. "You're her mother. How could you not even know who your daughter married? Or that she came to Beijing? Do you care so little about her? Then why did you marry Yutang in the first place? You could have refused."

Cheng Mingyue said nothing. She had married Lin Yutang partly because he was handsome, and although his family wasn't well-off, her father had admired him. But after marriage, they had lived apart most of the time, leaving her to handle everything alone.

When she fell seriously ill, it was her current husband who rushed to get a doctor. When the roof leaked, it was he who came to fix it.

Over time, spending so much time together as a man and woman alone, feelings had developed—complicated and unspoken. Back then, she was newly pregnant and conscious of her marriage vows. After the child was born and Lin Yutang died in service, she had married Lin Yushan without looking back.

But married life hadn't been what she'd hoped. Lin Yushan lacked ambition and no longer showed the warmth he had before they wed.

Cheng Mingzhong didn't expect a response. After a moment, he said, "Xiaoxiao is doing very well now. I think Yutang would be at peace knowing that."

Then something occurred to him. "I remember Yutang had an older brother, didn't he? One who left home very young?"

Pushing down her mixed emotions, Cheng Mingyue nodded. "Yes. He wasn't that young when he left—fifteen or sixteen. But he wasn't right in the head. Some said he might have drowned in a river."

Cheng Mingzhong shook his head. "It seems he didn't die. Somehow he went abroad and had a son."

Cheng Mingyue refused to believe it. "Impossible. Everyone said Lin Yutang's older brother was simple-minded—couldn't even speak properly. How could he have gone abroad?"

Cheng Mingzhong had to agree. If Lin Yutang's brother had been severely disabled, it would have been nearly impossible for him to go overseas, let alone survive on his own. He wondered if it was a case of mistaken identity.

After her moment of anxiety, Lin Xiaoxiao quickly pushed her worries aside. Rather than stressing over the unknown, she decided to focus on choosing names for the three babies.

That night, unable to sleep, she asked Zhou Huai'an, "If we really have three children, what should we name them? Nothing like Hongbing or Weiguo, okay? And for girls, no Hongmei, Lamei, or Chunhua—nothing too old-fashioned. You need to think of three boy names and three girl names."

These days, Zhou Huai'an grew nervous with Lin Xiaoxiao's every move. He carefully supported her lower back as she turned over. As for names, he hadn't given it any thought—his mind had been in a daze lately.

Lin Xiaoxiao pictured three identical little boys or three matching little girls and found the idea utterly charming. She pondered earnestly. "What if we look through names of Chinese medicinal herbs? We could name them after herbs—it would sound pretty and unique."

She sighed contentedly. "I think I'm being greedy, but I want two sons and one daughter. That way, the two older brothers can protect their little sister. She'd be the happiest girl in the world."

Zhou Huai'an rested his hand gently on her belly, feeling the occasional movements within—sometimes strong kicks, other times a soft ripple. It was a miraculous feeling.

"Okay, you choose the names. I don't know much about medicinal herbs."

If it were up to him, names like Hongbing, Aiguo, or Guoqing sounded just fine. For a girl, something with "flower" in it would be pretty too. But he didn't dare say that to Lin Xiaoxiao—she would definitely disapprove.

That night, Lin Xiaoxiao dreamed of three identical little babies giggling and crawling around her. They had big eyes, long lashes, chubby cheeks, and gummy smiles. They even smelled like milk. It was a joyful sight.

She woke up smiling, only to find Zhou Huai'an already gone. Outside, sporadic firecrackers were going off. It took her a moment to realize—today was New Year's Eve. She had been in this world for almost a year already. Time really flew.

After lying in bed reflecting for a while, she got up and made her way slowly downstairs.

Surprisingly, only Zhou Xiaohong was in the living room, reading a book. She glanced up when Lin Xiaoxiao came down but immediately looked back at her book without a word.

Naturally, Lin Xiaoxiao didn't acknowledge her either. Holding her lower back, she headed toward the kitchen when she heard movement.

Only the housekeeper was there, busy preparing the New Year's feast. She smiled when she saw Lin Xiaoxiao. "You're awake! I kept some breakfast warm for you."

Curious, Lin Xiaoxiao asked, "Where is everyone else?"

"Your grandfather and the two men went to sweep the graves. Your mother went to her sister's to drop something off—she'll be back soon," the housekeeper said, taking a bowl of steamed egg custard and two steamed buns out of the steamer. She urged Lin Xiaoxiao to eat.

Sitting at the dining table, Lin Xiaoxiao picked up her spoon—then paused. At the edge of the bowl was a fine white powder, as if a bit of flour from the housekeeper's hands had accidentally fallen on it.

She bent down and sniffed. Besides the usual eggy smell, there was another faint, unidentifiable odor.

Feeling cautious, she called out to the housekeeper, "Auntie, did you make dough this morning?"

The housekeeper leaned out from the kitchen and shook her head. "No, I didn't. I just boiled some paste for the couplets earlier. Why? Would you like noodles?"

Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head. "No, I was just wondering if we're having dumplings for lunch. If we are, I'll skip the buns."

The housekeeper smiled. "We're having dumplings for dinner, not lunch."

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded. "Alright, got it."

Once the housekeeper returned to the kitchen, Lin Xiaoxiao stared at the egg custard and buns. There was no way she was eating this. With everyone else gone, if something went wrong, she and the babies would be helpless.

Besides the housekeeper, the only other person home was Zhou Xiaohong. The housekeeper had been thoroughly vetted before she was hired—it was unlikely she would dare try anything.

That left only Zhou Xiaohong.

But why would Zhou Xiaohong want to harm her? They had no real conflict.

Then again, someone as easily manipulated as Zhou Xiaohong might have been tricked into doing something foolish.

Turning around, Lin Xiaoxiao put on a sweet smile and called toward the living room, "Xiaohong, would you like some steamed egg custard?"