Luo Anran had been listening quietly, but Geng Aiguo's sudden question made her face darken.

"What kind of thing is that to say? We're married. Why are you bringing up someone who's already gone?"

Geng Aiguo sneered. "I'm just saying if. What if Zhou Xiaocheng isn't dead? What if he comes back?"

A knot of frustration tightened in Luo Anran's chest. She looked down, silently winding her yarn, unable to speak.

Old Man Geng glared at his son. "What nonsense are you spouting? Haven't you learned your lesson? Look what happened to your front teeth, and you're still running your mouth."

Geng Aiguo instinctively touched his mouth. Missing his front teeth made him afraid to even open his mouth in public. The thought of that shrew Zhou Xiaoling only made him resent the Zhou family more.

His father frowned deeply. "Enough. Focus on your job. Put your energy into your work and bettering yourself. Stop stirring up trouble at home. You've been spoiled rotten by your mother."

Furious, Mrs. Geng threw down her knitting and stormed off to the bedroom.

Meanwhile, the celebration at the Zhou residence was in full swing. Li Yunlan paraded Lin Xiaoxiao around the gathering, introducing her to what felt like everyone, familiar faces and strangers alike.

Lin Xiaoxiao maintained a fixed smile through two rounds of socializing before the sound of a crying baby upstairs offered a welcome escape. She slipped inside, finally able to relax.

Lin Wenbin had stayed upstairs with Zhou Liyun, avoiding the crowd below to help look after the children.

He laughed when he saw Lin Xiaoxiao's relieved expression. "It's a happy occasion. Why do you look so stressed?"

She let out a long breath. "I don't know most of those people, and I just have to stand there listening to them praise me. It's awkward."

He rolled his eyes. "You're missing the point. Your in-laws are building a foundation for you. The more value they publicly place on you, the more respect others will show you. If they treated their daughter-in-law with indifference, nobody else would look twice in your direction. There will always be more than enough people who judge by appearances."

Lin Xiaoxiao knew he was right, but the social performance was exhausting.

Still, Lin Wenbin felt reassured. Seeing how the Zhous valued his sister, and with three children cementing her place in the family, he could leave for the south with peace of mind.

After the celebration, everyone in the compound knew the Zhou family's daughter-in-law had not only gotten into university but had been the top scorer in her province. Those who had been skeptical, suspecting the Zhous had pulled strings, were finally silenced. No amount of influence could fabricate a provincial top score.

For a while afterward, whenever Lin Xiaoxiao went out, people she knew and didn't know would greet her. It took some getting used to.

By mid-April, it was time to register for classes. Zhou Zhennan offered to have the driver take her, but Lin Xiaoxiao refused. Most students came from humble backgrounds; some had barely scraped together the travel money. Arriving by car would seem like showing off.

Wanting to blend in, she wore a simple short-sleeved floral print blouse, an ordinary acrylic-fabric pair of trousers, and white sneakers.

Zhou Xiaoling insisted on accompanying her. Despite the plain clothes, Xiaoling noted, her sister-in-law's slender, willow-like figure and pretty face still stood out.

"I'm going with you," Xiaoling declared. "I'll start shouting 'sister-in-law' the moment we reach the gate, so any potential suitors get the message early."

Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't help but laugh. "Everyone's there to study, not to find a partner."

Xiaoling shook her head. "Don't be so naive. Some men might specifically look for a city girl so they won't have to return to the countryside. I need to protect you. No one's stealing you away."

Amused, Lin Xiaoxiao said, "Don't worry. Nobody would want someone who already has three kids."

She adjusted the military satchel she was carrying—it had belonged to Zhou Huaian, his name still faintly visible inside the lining. Just carrying it made her feel a little safer.

Before they left, Li Yunlan slipped Lin Xiaoxiao a ten-yuan bill, telling her to buy some summer clothes on her way home.

On the bus, Zhou Xiaoling sighed melodramatically. "I'm so jealous now. I think Mom likes you more. She used to be the one slipping me spending money."

Lin Xiaoxiao smiled. "Do you want this money?"

"No, no!" Xiaoling waved her hands. "I have my salary. You can just buy me lunch."

University was free now, and students even received monthly food ration coupons. With careful budgeting, one could even save a little.

After registering—and since she wasn't boarding, skipping the bedding collection—Lin Xiaoxiao toured the medical school campus with Zhou Xiaoling, who diligently called her "sister-in-law" at every opportunity, loudly and clearly, much to Lin Xiaoxiao's amusement.

They ate lunch in the cafeteria. You had to bring your own bowl. The menu wasn't varied—just simple, large-pot dishes. That day, it was stir-fried cabbage with a few slices of fatty pork, which many students considered a good meal.

Lin Xiaoxiao filled her lunchbox with a generous portion of the cabbage and got two steamed buns. They found a corner to eat.

Life had been comfortable lately, a far cry from her first struggling days in this era. The boiled cabbage tasted rather bland to her now. Noticing Zhou Xiaoling eating heartily without complaint, she asked, "You don't think it's bad?"

Xiaoling thought for a moment. "It's okay. Better than being hungry. This is white-flour bread. It's pretty good, actually."

Lin Xiaoxiao felt a pang of shame. Her adaptability was no match for Xiaoling's. Watching Xiaoling enjoy the food, she found the simple meal began to taste better.

Then, out of nowhere, Xiaoling's mood shifted. "You know, we're lucky to have enough to eat. My big brother and the others at the border... who knows what they're getting over there."

Her words hit Lin Xiaoxiao like a physical blow, her heart clenching tightly. Every day she worried about Zhou Huaian's safety and whether he was hurt, but she'd never once thought about what he was eating.

She recalled history books and films—conditions where even clean drinking water was a luxury, let alone decent food.

Her eyes began to sting. Seeing her expression, Xiaoling realized she'd said too much. "Sister-in-law, don't think like that. Nothing is more important than coming home alive. As long as my big brother returns home safe, that's all that matters."

But Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't shake the heavy feeling. She finished her lunch in silence, washed her lunchbox at the water room, and they walked around campus a while longer.

Once everything was settled, she and Xiaoling headed home. Lin Xiaoxiao felt somber the entire way, wanting nothing more than to get home and hold her three children.

As they reached the doorstep, a strange, sharp pang struck her heart. She followed Xiaoling inside and saw a man sitting on the sofa in the living room, his features unclear against the backlight from the window.

But Zhou Xiaoling recognized him instantly. She gasped."Big brother?"