Zhou Huian was taken aback when Lin Xiaoxiao suggested returning to the countryside with him—a place she had always scorned.

What's more, judging by her appearance, it was clear she hadn't been home in the past couple of days and knew nothing about what had been happening at the Lin household.

He pressed his lips together, unsure how to respond, and eventually just nodded with a quiet hum of agreement.

Lin Xiaoxiao hadn't expected this reticent man to say much anyway. She glanced at the rolled-up quilts and bundles on the other bed and asked curiously, "Where's your mother?"

Zhou Huian didn't know either. After Lin Xiaoxiao left, Wang Fenglan grew restless sitting around and decided to take Zhou Xiaoli out for a walk.

Remembering how overbearing his mother could be, he apologized to Lin Xiaoxiao: "My mother can be difficult, and my sister has been spoiled since she was young."

Lin Xiaoxiao waved a hand dismissively. "What's that to me? People like that are bound to learn their lesson sooner or later. Sometimes it takes a real setback to wake them up."

After a moment's hesitation, she decided to tell Zhou Huian about Zhou Xiaoli's pregnancy.

For the first time, his stoic expression shifted. He looked stunned, almost disbelieving. "That's impossible!"

In these times, even engaged couples were expected to avoid intimacy before marriage. Those who broke this norm faced harsh criticism.

Stuck in his old-fashioned views, Zhou Huian refused to believe his sister could do such a thing.

Lin Xiaoxiao almost laughed at how traditional he was being. "I'm only telling you so you don't go setting her up with some unsuspecting man. That would be unfair to him. Besides, she's already four months along. You'd better figure something out soon, or she'll have to carry the baby to term."

Zhou Huian frowned. He wasn't particularly close to his sister, but he couldn't just stand by and let her ruin her life. Wang Fenglan had brought Zhou Xiaoli to the city to find a husband—clearly unaware of the situation.

Meanwhile, Wang Fenglan and Zhou Xiaoli were seated in a state-run canteen, looking around in wonder. Across from them sat Xiao Yan, smiling warmly.

Xiao Yan cheerfully poured tea for Wang Fenglan. "Auntie, when did you arrive in the city?"

Wang Fenglan beamed. She hadn't expected this elegant city girl to be so friendly—or to treat them to a meal at such a nice canteen. She peeked toward the kitchen, impressed.

"We just got here today. You know my second son? You're too kind! We could've just had noodles on the street. You didn't have to bring us here."

Xiao Yan smiled gently. "Don't mention it. You don't visit often—how could I let you eat street noodles? I ordered braised pork and three pounds of dumplings with beef and cabbage. We can always get more if it's not enough."

Wang Fenglan couldn't stop grinning. "This is more than enough! You're too generous."

"It's the least I can do," Xiao Yan replied. "With Zhou Ge injured and unable to show you around, I'm happy to help."

Wang Fenglan sighed inwardly. This young woman's manners and warmth were miles above Lin Xiaoxiao's—who hadn't even offered them a proper meal.

In fact, Lin Xiaoxiao had sneaked off to eat by herself without a word.

The more Wang Fenglan compared the two, the more she felt Xiao Yan was genuinely kind-hearted. She couldn't help saying, "Young lady, you have a heart of gold. If only my second son had married someone like you... Ah, with a daughter-in-law like you, I could die happy."

Xiao Yan feigned embarrassment. "Auntie, you flatter me. Lin Xiaoxiao is a good person."

Wang Fenglan snorted. "Her? She's a city girl through and through. She looks down on country folks like us. We didn't gain a daughter-in-law—we ended up with a statue to worship."

Xiao Yan pretended to be surprised. "Really? But I heard from the other wives in the compound that Lin Xiaoxiao has quite the temper."

"It's not just a bad temper—she's downright selfish," Wang Fenglan said dismissively.

Just then, two bowls of braised pork arrived, glistening and rich. The meat was tender, red-braised and fragrant, the fat trembling slightly with each movement.

Wang Fenglan's eyes went wide. Even during New Year's celebrations, her family never indulged in so much meat at once.

Without another word to Xiao Yan, she picked up her chopsticks, snatched a large piece of pork, and shoved it into her mouth.

Zhou Xiaoli quickly grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth. The greasy taste immediately turned her stomach. She forced herself to swallow, but couldn't hold back the nausea rising in her throat.

She covered her mouth and hurried aside to vomit.

Xiao Yan wasn't familiar with the Zhou family's situation. Given Zhou Xiaoli's age, she assumed the girl was probably married—after all, rural women often married young. She couldn't help blurting out, "What's wrong? Could you be pregnant?"

Wang Fenglan's face darkened instantly. She slammed her chopsticks on the table and snapped, "How can you say that? Our Xiaoli is an unmarried girl—how could she be pregnant?"

Xiao Yan quickly apologized, "Auntie, I'm sorry, I didn't know. Maybe she ate something that didn't agree with her?"

Xiaoli was terrified. She patted her chest and swallowed the sour fluid in her throat. "It's nothing, really. I just have a cold and can't handle greasy food right now."

Not entirely convinced, Xiao Yan poured her a cup of water and went to fetch a bowl of plain rice porridge.

Later, Wang Fenglan devoured two small bowls of braised pork and more than half of the dumplings. Only when she was completely full did she reluctantly set down her chopsticks.

Zhou Xiaoli held back her cravings and stuck to two bowls of plain rice porridge. Fortunately, she didn't vomit again.

There were still some dumplings left. Without a hint of embarrassment, Wang Fenglan took out a handkerchief from her pocket, tied the corners together, and bundled up the leftovers to eat later that night.

After all, she had already figured Lin Xiaoxiao wouldn't care whether they had food tonight or not.

At the hospital gate, Xiao Yan bought them a few apples before smiling and saying goodbye.

Wang Fenglan watched Xiao Yan leave, then turned and glared at Zhou Xiaoli with a stormy expression. "Did you sleep with that good-for-nothing Feng Chunsheng?"

Zhou Xiaoli was so frightened she nearly lost her mind, shaking her head wildly. "No! Of course not!"

But Wang Fenglan was no fool. Taking in her daughter's panicked expression and recent behavior, her face grew even darker. She gritted her teeth and said, "How could you be so shameless? You're carrying a little bastard in your belly—even Lin Xiaoxiao could tell, and you've been hiding it from me? Do you really intend to give birth to this child?"

Zhou Xiaoli was utterly terrified. "Mom, I don't want to! I don't want to have it!" If she had this baby, her life would be over.

Wang Fenglan was so angry her face trembled. If they hadn't been standing at the hospital entrance, she would have slapped Zhou Xiaoli right then.

How did she end up with such a disgraceful daughter?

Tears welled in Zhou Xiaoli's eyes as she looked at her mother. "Mom... what should I do?"

Wang Fenglan was frantic too. "First, we need to find a way to get rid of it. If that's not possible... then we'll have your second brother adopt it. Let Lin Xiaoxiao raise it!"