In the hospital room, Bai Shuyu ran her hands through her hair once and then picked up the mirror on the bedside table to look again. She noticed two grey hairs sticking out and quickly pinned them down with a hairpin, but still felt unsure.

"Nian Nian, stop fussing over yourself. Look at your mother and see if anything is amiss, how does my complexion look? Will your brother think I look ugly when he sees me like this!"

"Not at all, not at all, Mom, you look very good now, you're in high spirits. Brother Zhenping will definitely be happy to see you. Ah, Mom, I think you might as well not dress up, just be as you were before. If Brother Zhenping sees you looking worn, he might feel even more pity for you, and then he might stay a few more days in Shangjing."

"Ah, I do wish Zhenping could stay in Shangjing and keep me company, but he said the kids have exams, and with Kai so young, who will take care of the house if there's no one at home."

Yuan Niannian paused before speaking, "Actually, we should have let Brother Zhenping come by himself at first. It would have been nice for us to chat as a family. With Comrade Shen Meng coming along, we're not familiar with each other, and I don't even know what to talk about later."

Bai Shuyu shook her head before speaking, "You can't say that, Nian Nian. Shen Meng is your sister-in-law, my daughter-in-law. I've wanted to meet her for so many years. I've heard she's a very capable woman. The big changes in Ning County are all her doing. She's a good match for my son. Ah, it's just a pity that I haven't been able to meet Kai. He's nine and a half, and I've only seen photos of him. When will I be able to hold my grandson?"

Yuan Niannian managed a forced smile, turned her head to one side, and a flicker of impatience crossed her eyes.

"Knock, knock, knock"

"They're here, they're here, Nian Nian, your brother is here."

Bai Shuyu hurriedly put down the mirror, leaned back on the pillow, and stared intensely at the hospital room door. Yuan Niannian pursed her lips to even out the lipstick she hadn't applied properly, using the moment when she tucked in Bai Shuyu's blanket to glance in the mirror – very good, very pretty.

"Auntie, Zhenping and my sister-in-law are here to see you, may we come in?"

"Cough cough, come in!"

Having received permission, Bai Yan entered the hospital room with Lu Zhenping and Shen Meng. Seeing Yuan Niannian also standing by the bedside, he nodded at her. At this moment, he dared not to say too much, understanding that this was the time for the mother and son.

Shen Meng was extremely curious about Bai Shuyu, considering her in her mind to be an extreme paragon of virtue. As soon as she entered the room, her gaze had been fixed on Bai Shuyu.

There she lay on the hospital bed, her face somewhat pale, her hair combed without a hair out of place, corners of her mouth holding a smile, silently watching them.

Lu Zhenping's facial features closely resembled hers. Although she bore the marks of age, one could tell that she had been a great beauty in her youth.

It's no wonder that she was the moonlight in the hearts of many, the woman whose name Lu Changzhu called out in his dreams for years – indeed, she had a perfect face.

"Zhenping is here, and this must be Shen Meng, how pretty. Are you tired from the journey? Oh, I told Yanyan not to go pick you up so early. Such a long way, you should've slept a bit more."

"It's fine. We're used to getting up early. This is a token of our respect, please accept it with a smile!"

Shen Meng: "...."

What kind of talk is that, who gives gifts to elders and asks them to accept with a smile!

Bai Shuyu wasn't offended. Seeing the things that Lu Zhenping and Shen Meng brought, she repeatedly praised them and gestured for them to sit down.

"How are you feeling, what did the doctor say?"

"I've fallen ill, need some rest, and when my health improves a bit, I'll have a surgery and everything should be fine. Seeing you all today makes me feel as if I've already gotten better, haha!"

Bai Shuyu kept looking at Lu Zhenping as if she could never look enough. When he was in the military, she would often visit him. Later, when she learned he didn't want to see her, she also pleaded with her brother just to catch a distant glimpse of him. Being able to see him even from afar always made her feel better.

But these past two years, whenever she missed Lu Zhenping, all she had were photos. Day and night she pined for him, and gradually, her own health deteriorated.

"Oh right, Nian Nian, go get the gift and the red envelope I put in the drawer earlier for your sister-in-law. Xiao Meng, this is the first time mom is meeting you, I've been wanting to give you a gift in person but never had the chance. Now that I finally see you, you must accept it."

"You are too courteous, Zhenping and I have been married for so many years now, there's no need for such formalities."

"It's only right, it's only right, I am always... always his mother, it's my place to give."

As she said this, her eyes revealed a cautiousness, and only after seeing that Lu Zhenping had no objections did she turn her gaze back to Shen Meng.

When she first heard that Lu Zhenping had married a country girl, she was dissatisfied. In her eyes, Lu Zhenping, being so outstanding, should marry the best girl. Yuan Niannian was the child of her brother's comrade-in-arms, whom she adopted under her name. After raising her with love and care for so many years and watching her grow up, she was very pleased with her.

Privately, she hoped that Lu Zhenping would end up with Yuan Niannian so that he could move his household registration to Shangjing. If he became her son-in-law, both her son and daughter would be close by. What a wonderful thing that would be!

But alas, Zhenping just wouldn't agree, and her heart ached terribly over it.

Yuan Niannian was nearly thirty and still unwilling to marry. She knew deep down it was because of Zhenping. Truth be told, it was her fault for having the two meet once, never expecting Niannian to hold onto it for so many years, waiting for him with all her heart.

She would have supported them in the past, but seeing Shen Meng today made her realize that her son had no chance with Yuan Niannian in this lifetime.

"Brother Zhenping, Mr. Shen, this is the gift and red envelope mom prepared for Mr. Shen. You must accept it!"

"Thank you."

Shen Meng chuckled lightly as she accepted it. How amusing this person was, still calling her Mr. Shen, as if saying "sister-in-law" would hurt her throat or something.

"Nian Nian, she is your sister-in-law, not Mr. Shen. You're being too distant. Aunt and Zhenping, as well as the younger siblings, surely have a lot to talk about. Let's head out first, I haven't eaten yet. You should come with me and have some wontons outside!"

"Brother Yan, you go ahead. I can't leave mom's side, there are many things I need to take care of personally. Brother Zhenping and Mr. Shen might not be able to handle it, and I don't feel comfortable leaving mom in the hands of strangers. We are all family, there's nothing I can't hear."

She said this cheerfully, but Bai Yan's face darkened.

Without another word, he walked over to Yuan Niannian, grabbed her arm, and headed for the door.

"Aunt, Zhenping, and younger sister, have a good chat. We'll be back later."

"Brother Yan, let go of me, let me go, I..."

"Shut up. Don't think I don't know what you've been up to behind the scenes. Out of respect for aunt, I advise you not to overdo it."

Yuan Niannian's face turned pale, having been spoiled for so many years she had never seen Bai Yan with such an attitude toward her. What did he know?