In June, at the height of summer, cicadas chirped incessantly behind the houses, while children filled the streets carrying bowls, running errands for adults to buy fish paste, wine, and vinegar.
The children of Yanguan Village all loved Chen Meilan. Whenever they saw her, they would call out, "Hello, Auntie Chen."
Chen Meilan stood in front of the large peony bush by her courtyard gate, smiling and nodding at the children.
Yan Zhao had closed the door and was inside dealing with Little Wang's matter. Chen Meilan listened carefully, hearing only his hushed voice speaking, while Jim kept laughing, and Little Wang remained completely silent throughout.
"Jim, do you want to leave tomorrow? If so, I can send you off then?" Yan Zhao suddenly said.
At this, Jim finally stopped laughing.
And Little Wang, from beginning to end, didn't utter a word.
Soon after, Little Lang returned with a plastic bag: "Mom, I got the fish paste you wanted."
At that time, few people used plastic bags for carrying things. Yuanyuan was particularly fond of this plastic bag: "Mom, please empty it into a bowl. I want to wash this plastic bag and keep it."
White plastic bags would later be known as "white pollution," but in this era, they were treasured items like candy wrappers and ice cream wrappers.
Chen Meilan was about to find an excuse to take the two younger children out for a walk, allowing Yan Zhao to discipline his son privately.
But Yan Zhao opened the door.
Little Lang and Yuanyuan immediately rushed inside.
"Dad, why did you close the door? What were you doing?" Yuanyuan asked curiously.
Yan Zhao looked down at his daughter and said three words: "Go practice piano."
"Okay, Dad. Can I play 'Strumming My Beloved Pipa' for you first?" Yuanyuan asked cheerfully.
"Sure," Yan Zhao said.
He went into the kitchen to cook, but kept watching what was happening outside.
Yan Zhao still remembered the first time he saw Chen Meilan - she had two extremely smooth braids, wore a floral jacket with a matching fabric patch on the shoulder.
Such patches were common on Su Wen's clothes too.
They came from carrying poles wearing against shoulders while fetching water and working in the fields in the countryside.
Because of that patch, after leaving Chen Village, Yan Zhao couldn't stop thinking about Chen Meilan. He couldn't eat or sleep properly. Three days later, before even picking up Little Wang and Little Lang, he went to Yanguan Village to fetch her.
At that time, he thought that after marriage, he would definitely give this woman a comfortable life where she could eat her fill and wear clothes without patches. He would never leave his wife like his father did.
But he never imagined that after marriage, it would be Chen Meilan, not him, who would carry the burden of their life forward.
Today she wore a pink dress that showed her slender waist yet full figure.
From a distance, she didn't look at all like a thirty-year-old woman.
Yan Zhao never dared to look at Chen Meilan for too long, because every glance made his heart race and his face flush.
As a blended family, Yuanyuan wasn't Yan Zhao's biological child, but he had always treated her as his own daughter.
Before today, Yan Zhao had never imagined that his most proud and beloved son would pull such a stunt, and he had no idea how to handle the situation.
At this moment, Chen Meilan was by the bathroom door, saying something to Little Wang.
Earlier when Yan Zhao had scolded Little Wang, the boy hadn't made a sound and kept his eyes closed, refusing to look at him.
If Chen Meilan hadn't been outside calling "Third Brother," Yan Zhao might have struck the child. Now, he worried that Little Wang wouldn't cooperate and might act defiant with Chen Meilan.
If that happened, he wouldn't be able to hold back from giving him a beating.
But not only did Little Wang not act defiant, he held his head high, fighting back tears, nodding while wiping his eyes. When Chen Meilan patted his back and handed him something, he actually broke into a smile, glanced quickly toward the kitchen, lowered his head, and ran off.
Chen Meilan turned back with a smile, and Yan Zhao quickly averted his gaze.
He didn't know what his wife had said to Little Wang, but he was very curious.
Just as he was about to ask Chen Meilan, Little Lang suddenly remembered something and ran to the kitchen door, asking, "Dad, our new house is renovated now, when are you going to go choose the rooms?"
One shock after another.
Today, Yan Zhao not only discovered that Little Wang was in puppy love, but also learned for the first time that they had bought a new house.
Before he could ask, Chen Meilan said with a smile, "I bought us a house, can you guess where it is?"
"Is it in the Dongfang Group staff quarters?" Yan Zhao asked.
That was where Chen Meilan went most often, so Yan Zhao instinctively guessed it must be there.
Since his wife had already bought the house, Yan Zhao, not being particularly macho, wouldn't fuss about his pride. He just said, "Let me do the renovation. I'm good at laying tiles and painting walls."
He had built his army unit's house brick by brick all by himself.
With him, they could save on labor costs.
Little Lang quickly chimed in: "Dad, the tiles are already laid, and there's even a place for me to practice shooting!"
So she had not only bought a new house but had it fully renovated already?
Yan Zhao was speechless.
"But Mom says we can't live there yet, and I can't stay there too long because there are toxins in the air," Little Lang added.
Regarding Little Lang's low platelet count, they had heard about it from the doctor during their last visit to the capital.
Yan Zhao understood that Chen Meilan was worried about Little Lang getting sick from breathing toxic air, but he didn't say anything.
Of course, he cooked dinner - it was his signature oil-splashed noodles. Whether spring, summer, fall, or winter, even if served at every meal, the children loved these noodles. Being from Shaanxi, they couldn't do without their noodles.
Just as dinner was ready, Little Wang returned from outside, carrying a thick stack of math olympiad practice papers. Upon entering, he was particularly attentive in setting up the table and chairs. He finished eating first, went into the kitchen, and started washing dishes with a clatter. By the time Yan Zhao finished eating and brought his bowl to the kitchen, Little Wang had cleaned everything spotlessly, even making the refrigerator shine.
He usually only did his homework, and did it quickly - barely finishing writing before jumping up from his chair. As soon as homework was done, he'd run straight out to play.
But today he spread out his math olympiad practice papers, sitting firmly in his chair as if glued to it, working on them seriously.
After his shower, Yan Zhao came in and pointed to Little Wang, who was still doing math problems under the courtyard light, and asked, "What did you say to him about him and Yuanyuan?"
Chen Meilan replied, "I didn't say anything special. You should try not to mention it either. Little Wang will surely be mindful."
"Then what did you say to him earlier by the bathroom door?" Yan Zhao asked again.
Earlier when she talked to Little Wang by the bathroom door, the boy had been moved to tears. What exactly had she said?
Chen Meilan said, "I heard he ranked first in the school's math olympiad, so I asked if he wanted to go to the capital for the final competition. He said he did, so I gave him money to buy study materials."
Earlier, Yan Zhao had told his son that if he dared to bully other children again, he wouldn't hesitate to send him to juvenile detention. Little Wang had closed his eyes, showing a rather die-than-submit attitude.
It was because Chen Meilan wouldn't let him hit the boy that Yan Zhao had let her handle the education, but she hadn't said anything about it?
And she was even planning to let him go to the capital for the math competition?
Did that mean Chen Meilan didn't mind Little Wang's feelings for Yuanyuan?
Yan Zhao reminded Chen Meilan: "Meilan, Little Wang and Yuanyuan are siblings. Never mind that he's still young and his feelings are just puppy love - even if he grows up and seriously wants to date Yuanyuan, it's impossible. My family and the Xishans are of the same clan. Though they're beyond five generations of kinship, they still have blood ties. Marriage would be impossible."
This issue seemed very serious to Yan Zhao, and he felt the need to extinguish the small flame in Little Wang's heart immediately.
Chen Meilan's current attitude made Yan Zhao feel she wasn't taking this problem seriously enough.
Chen Meilan had just finished her shower and was applying hand cream. She spread out her wet hair and dried it with a towel, saying, "Give the child some time. Want to bet that our Little Wang will do very well in the math olympiad in the capital this time?"
Little Wang had always been a top student, but this time, he had even outscored Liu Jiaxuan in the math olympiad, which had never happened before.
However, when it comes to going to the capital and taking the retest to achieve good results, Yan Zhao is not very confident.
He knows his son too well; he is willing to study, but as soon as he finds a new way to make money, he immediately drops his books.
So the most important issue is still the early love, or rather, unrequited love problem between Little Wang and Yuanyuan.
Yuanyuan is from the same clan, and if the little girl doesn't like him, it's fine, but if she does, biologically speaking, they can't have optimal offspring, which makes the problem even more significant.
"So, what about him and Yuanyuan..." Yan Zhao asked again.
Chen Meilan reached out and suddenly covered Yan Zhao's mouth: "Brother, if you keep talking, the kids will hear you."
Her hand, full of hand cream fragrance, was cool and soft like jade, covering his lips. Yan Zhao turned around and saw Little Wang still diligently studying under the lamp in the courtyard.
Yuanyuan was washing her and Little Lang's clothes, while Little Lang was silently shooting bullets at the target one after another.
And Jim, with a sly and sneaky look, was standing outside the window.
Yan Zhao reached out and pulled the curtain shut with a snap: "Jim, if you keep eavesdropping on our conversations, tomorrow I'll send you back to the capital."
"Uncle, I'm deaf, I can't hear anything," Jim said in a loud voice.
Chen Meilan had a habit: when she had her period, she never washed her hair while showering. If she washed her hair, it meant her period was over. Since her period was over, it was time for some intimate marital activities related to the mammary glands.
After the activities, the children had also gone to sleep.
Yan Zhao's ears were sharp; he heard faint laughter coming from Little Wang's room, so he got up quietly and sneaked over. It was hot, and the children didn't like air conditioning, so the window was open, with the wind blowing the curtains and bringing in cool air.
Sure enough, the two older boys hadn't slept yet, and Little Wang was quietly sobbing.
Jim was teasing Little Wang: "What's the big deal? Why are you crying so much?"
"Don't talk to me, or I'll beat you up," Little Wang said.
"But brother, do you really like Yuanyuan too? Then when we grow up, who will marry Yuanyuan?" Jim asked again.
This sly little rascal had discovered that Little Wang also liked Yuanyuan while eavesdropping on Chen Meilan and Yan Zhao's conversation. He was overjoyed and suggested, "How about this, when we grow up, let's play rock-paper-scissors, whoever wins..."
Little Wang, who had been crying, suddenly got up and slapped Jim's bare buttocks.
Jim yelped, and another slap followed, like raindrops, slapping away.
Little Wang pointed a finger at Jim's nose: "If you dare to say such things again, I'll beat you up."
...
Back in the bedroom, Yan Zhao sat on the bed, still worrying about what to do.
Currently, Yan Zhao's work was going smoothly.
Because the Jindong Branch Bureau he once led was now one of the top ten public security bureaus in the country, the capital had issued a directive to have all branch bureaus in the city learn from Jindong.
The head of the municipal bureau, Zhang Chao, was also very cooperative with Yan Zhao's work.
With some effort, in another two years, the Xiping City Public Security Bureau could achieve the title of a national model public security bureau.
At that time, public security organs across the country would come to Xiping to learn and improve their efficiency fundamentally.
A few days ago, the provincial office issued a notice saying that starting next month, he would go to the Party School in the capital for study.
This meant he would soon be promoted to the provincial office and could be transferred to work at the public security department.
There was nothing to worry about regarding work.
And Little Wang, if he were like Jim, just joking around and not taking things seriously, it wouldn't matter.
After all, when kids are young, who hasn't had a crush on a little girl?
But looking at his current behavior, this matter doesn't seem like something that can be easily resolved by cooling off. What should he do?
Yan Zhao was still worrying and didn't know what to do. Suddenly, Chen Meilan reached out and patted his hand: "Go to sleep, we still have a long way to go. Yuanyuan loves to talk, which annoys Little Wang, and Little Wang always gets into trivial matters, which Yuanyuan also dislikes. There are plenty of young men and women outside. When they go to university and study separately, Little Wang will like other girls, and Yuanyuan will fall in love with other boys."
Chen Meilan had learned this from Lu Dabao in her previous life.
When Lu Dabao was young, he also liked Yuanyuan and often said that when he grew up, he would marry her.
But when he grew up, he was surrounded by little models and minor actresses.
Who was Yuanyuan? When his business was in trouble, she was his ATM; when his business was doing well, she was his target for ridicule. In today's society, with so many temptations, when boys grow up and their hearts wander, who would still remember the little sister who once took care of them? They would only find her annoying.
So Chen Meilan was quite at ease about this.
And she thought that Little Wang, who had a strong sense of self-esteem, could benefit from some setbacks and blows.
Look, by a twist of fate, he was going to the capital to take the Olympiad in mathematics.
Isn't that great?
However, after a while, Yan Zhao suddenly said, "Not necessarily. Little Wang's personality is like mine; once he likes something, I don't think it will be easy to change."
Suddenly, Chen Meilan felt that Yan Zhao's attitude was a bit off.
Zhou Xueqin was a thing of the past, and Yan Zhao treated her the same way Chen Meilan treated Yan Xishan—as long as the other person was alive, that was enough.
She didn't even want to look at them, as it would ruin her mood.
However, she always thought that Yan Zhao was like the golden shield on the gate of the public security bureau, only caring about work and nothing else. So, was it possible that he had a childhood sweetheart?
And that he still hadn't forgotten her?
"Tell me, Deputy Director Yan, did you also have a crush on a little girl when you were young, and you still haven't forgotten her?" Chen Meilan asked with interest.
She wasn't jealous; when she was young, she also liked a boy from the neighboring village. It was just a conversation.
But Yan Zhao's voice immediately grew gruff: "Go to sleep."
This man, so uninteresting.
Chen Meilan reached out to tickle his armpit, but Yan Zhao grabbed her hand and said, "Do you want to do it again?"
"Get lost," Chen Meilan said, and she lay down in another blanket.
This man was as tough as steel; at over thirty years old, Yan Xishan could only last ten minutes, and Lu Jingyu couldn't even last five.
She didn't know where Yan Zhao got such strong physical strength.
Now, about Little Wang.
As the saying goes, good fortune is mixed with misfortune, and misfortune is mixed with good fortune.
Apart from Jim seemingly knowing that Little Wang liked Yuanyuan and getting a beating for it, which he dared not complain about, Little Lang and Yuanyuan were completely unaware.
The whole family was about to go to the capital soon.
Lu Dabao's Olympiad in mathematics was specially registered by Zhou Xueqin.
Little Wang's spot was obtained by a twist of fate.
But this time, probably wanting to make Chen Meilan proud, Little Wang worked tirelessly for a month, reviewing until late at night, around eleven or twelve o'clock, doing one stack of papers after another.
Due to frequent filming and the interference of fame, Yuanyuan could maintain a top-ten position in her class at best.
But Little Wang was like an arrow that had left the bowstring, and in the final exam, he scored a perfect score in the science comprehensive subject, ranking first in the entire first year of junior high school. This was the first time his total score ranked first in the city, causing a great sensation at school.
Even so, Little Wang did not slack off. That evening, he bought another stack of test papers to do.
As Little Lang and Yuanyuan said, if Little Wang doesn't win the championship in the capital, he would be unworthy of all those review materials.
And Chen Meilan, having a relatively peaceful period, was considering renovating the bedrooms for the three children.
Yuanyuan's room was the largest, as it needed to accommodate a piano and special soundproofing and soft-packing.
Little Lang liked various firearms, but even he might not know what his favorite thing was.
But Chen Meilan knew.
When communicating with Chen Degong, Chen Meilan found a Doraemon comic and requested a bedroom renovation with a blue and white theme, based on the comic book. It could be wall paintings or wooden soft furnishings, aiming to restore the comic as much as possible.
"What's this, a cat?" Chen Degong stared for a long time. "Why paint these things in a bedroom?"
"Just do as I say, brother. Money is not an issue, but it must look good," Chen Meilan said.
She was certain that Little Lang would absolutely adore this Doraemon-themed bedroom.
Little Wang was busy with Olympiad math and hadn't even seen the house.
His bedroom was chosen by Chen Meilan herself. Among the three children's bedrooms, his was the smallest, with the most ordinary white walls and no extra decorations.
Chen Degong was a bit suspicious.
After all, Little Lang mumbled and insisted that he was Chen Meilan's biological child, so she loved him.
Yuanyuan was her biological child, so of course, she doted on her.
Little Wang was older and always got into minor troubles.
Chen Degong was afraid that Chen Meilan was unconsciously biased towards the younger two, even in the house, not willing to put in effort for Little Wang.
So he said, "Meilan, as the saying goes, when being a stepmother, good intentions can't be shown, but appearances must be kept. You should also decorate Little Wang's room, or outsiders will talk about your shortcomings as a stepmother."
"Little Wang's room will stay as it is. I have something good for him, but not now," Chen Meilan said.
Although she didn't expect Little Wang to score exceptionally well this time, just for his willingness to review Olympiad math for a month and study seriously, Chen Meilan prepared a gift for him, a gift worth as much as a house in the capital.
Time flew by, and it was already July. The children had finished their exams, and Yan Jun and his father were about to return home.
Under Yan Peiheng's repeated urging, with one phone call after another, Chen Meilan's family was also preparing to head to the capital.
And just then, Chen Meilan heard some news about Food Factory 81 again.
But it wasn't Hu Xiaohua who told her.
Recently, Hu Xiaohua had disappeared into thin air, not calling at all.
Instead, it was Gu Xiao who informed Chen Meilan.
When Hu Xiaohua left, Gu Xiao was particularly worried about the sales of 271.
But Yan Xishan's impressive training-style order meeting made Gu Xiao completely convinced.
Since then, he hadn't inquired about the sales of 271.
Moreover, once Yan Dongxue called and told Chen Meilan that the old man had once told her that in business and management, Chen Meilan was the only person he had ever met who he didn't have to worry about at all and could completely entrust the company to.
This evaluation was a bit too high, and Chen Meilan felt she didn't quite deserve it.
One day, Gu Xiao called and got straight to the point: "Miss Chen, I heard you're going to the capital recently?"
Chen Meilan replied, "Yes."
Gu Xiao's tone was quite relaxed: "I'm also going to the capital soon. Privately, it's because Yan Jun is going to sue Yan Peiheng, and I'm accompanying him. Publicly, it's an invitation from Commander Liu, who plans to facilitate my investment in Food Factory 81."
Chen Meilan blurted out, "Did Hu Xiaohua introduce you to Commander Liu's family?"
"Yes," Gu Xiao said.
"If you invest in Food Factory 81, and they cook the books or have operational accidents, you'll send someone to take over, right?" Chen Meilan asked frankly.
Gu Xiao answered without hesitation, "Yes."
Just as Yan Peiheng said: The capitalist's heart is never at peace.
If you run the business seriously, Gu Xiao will be a great help. He appreciates capable people and is generous.
Chen Meilan got a new phone every half year because the company did well, and he rewarded her. This quarter, Sanbao Paint Factory did well, and Gu Xiao also rewarded Xiong Dapao.
It shows that he knows how to use people and is generous.
But someone like Zhang Xiangming, who just made a little money and rushed to buy houses and cars for himself, and even tried to fool Hu Xiaohua with fake gold necklaces, inviting Gu Xiao's investment is like offering his head on a platter.
And Yan Peiheng, facing his former rival, because of her, last year he even had a heated argument with the other party.
But this year, the other party has become a distinguished guest of the military region, a guest of honor.
When Gu Xiao arrives, won't Yan Peiheng be so angry that he'll spit blood?
Although she thought so, Chen Meilan still said amicably, "Let's meet in the capital then!"
Gu Xiao said, "Miss Chen, remember to bring your daughter along. I have an important gift for her."
Chen Meilan thought, Gu Xiao is coming, accompanying Yan Jun, and also planning to invest in Food Factory 81, which is enough to make Yan Peiheng angry.
If he gives Yuanyuan a gift, wouldn't he almost kill Yan Peiheng on the spot?
After hanging up the phone, Chen Meilan thought of something else.
Because Hu Xiaohua had no relatives around and she treated him well, although he was always restless at work, wanting to outshine her, in life, he treated Chen Meilan as a sister.
Since arriving in the capital, he called twice a day, reporting on work, asking questions, talking about life, and bragging a little.
He never stopped contacting her.
But recently, for at least a week, he hadn't called at all.
That guy, wasn't something wrong?
