Lin Xiaoxiao and Shanzi spent a relatively peaceful morning together. The boy was clever enough to understand that crying wouldn't bring his mother back—and that throwing things might actually earn him a spanking from this auntie.

So he behaved. He followed closely behind as Lin Xiaoxiao picked beans in the garden.

When she gave him milk powder, he sat obediently at the table, holding the small bowl with both hands. After finishing, he even brought the empty bowl to show her, looking pleased with himself.

Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't help but smile. "Well done. Keep it up, okay?"

When Zhou Xiaoling came by at noon, she found a scene of domestic calm: Lin Xiaoxiao wrapping dumplings in the yard, while Shanzi sat quietly on a small stool eating an apple. He wasn't crying or fussing—just perfectly behaved.

"Why's the kid here?" she asked, surprised.

Lin Xiaoxiao sighed. "Nobody else could take him for now. Poor thing—stuck with such an irresponsible mother."

Zhou Xiaoling patted Shanzi's head, washed her hands, and joined in wrapping dumplings. "Eggs, greens, and dried shrimp—my favorite filling."

Lin Xiaoxiao didn't know much about gardening. Before Zhou Huainan left, he'd told her to plant the cabbage seeds on the first day of autumn. Not knowing how much to sow, she'd scattered them generously—too generously, as it turned out. The seedlings sprouted packed tightly together. An experienced neighbor told her they needed thinning.

Rather than waste the extra plants, Lin Xiaoxiao had been eating the young greens for days, from when they were tiny until now, when they'd grown large. At least the cabbage patch finally looked presentable.

As they wrapped dumplings, Zhou Xiaoling shared some gossip. "Everyone's talking about the college entrance exams being restored. They say education experts have been invited to Beijing to make it official."

"How does everyone already know?" Lin Xiaoxiao wondered.

Zhou Xiaoling wasn't surprised. "Someone must have a relative in education. Word gets around.

You should keep preparing—lots of people already are. I heard all the educated youth are borrowing books. The bookstores in the city are sold out."

Lin Xiaoxiao felt a thrill. "That's great. By the way, which youth group does Xiao Yan belong to?"

She kept her voice low, just in case.

"I'm not sure," Zhou Xiaoling said. "I'll find out. Let's see how long she stays smug."

Lin Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. "We're not the bad ones. We're... weeding out the unworthy. We can't let just anyone slip into higher education—or become a parasite in our country's development. Right?"

Zhou Xiaoling nodded vigorously. "Right. Exactly."

The two women laughed softly.

When the dumplings were cooked, Lin Xiaoxiao dished up five for Shanzi, letting them cool. She wasn't sure how much a child could eat—maybe seven or eight? She'd start with five.

But Shanzi had been snacking all morning: biscuits, peach cookies, milk, an apple, a peach... By the time the dumplings were ready, he could only manage three before claiming he was full.

"He doesn't eat much for a three-year-old," Lin Xiaoxiao remarked. "No wonder he's so thin."

Zhou Xiaoling agreed. "Shanzi, are the dumplings good?"

He nodded. "Yummy."

"Then have two more?"

He rubbed his round belly. "Too full. Gonna explode."

He'd eaten more treats at Auntie's house than he usually saw in weeks. If not for the stomachache, he'd have kept going.

Zhou Xiaoling glanced at Lin Xiaoxiao. "Did you give him other food this morning?"

When Lin Xiaoxiao listed what he'd had, Zhou Xiaoling looked concerned. "Give him some digestive tablets. We don't want him feeling sick."

The two inexperienced caregivers found the yeast tablets and gave Shanzi two.

Zhou Xiaoling couldn't help laughing. "You're about to be a mom, and you have no idea about portion control. What if you overfeed my future nephew?"

Lin Xiaoxiao was smiling as she twisted the cap back on the bottle—when suddenly, a sharp, suffocating pain pierced her chest. It felt like a cramp, so intense she nearly dropped the container.

She grabbed Zhou Xiaoling's arm, breathing carefully, her brow furrowed.

Zhou Xiaoling panicked. "Sis, what's wrong? Is it the baby?"

Lin Xiaoxiao took a deep breath. The pain faded as quickly as it had come. "No... it was my heart. It's fine now—probably just a momentary ischemic pain."

Seeing color return to Lin Xiaoxiao's face, Zhou Xiaoling relaxed slightly. "You scared me to death! Sit down. Want some water?"

Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head, still pressing a hand to her chest. She sat on the edge of the bed. "It's nothing. I'm fine now. It was just so sudden..."

Then a thought struck her. She grabbed Zhou Xiaoling's hand. "What if it's your brother? What if something happened? We need to call."

Anxious and superstitious, she felt sure the pain was a sign—a warning that someone she loved was in danger.

Zhou Xiaoling nodded quickly. "Okay, okay, we'll go. But don't worry—I'm sure he's fine. You probably just overdid it this morning. Let's walk slowly."

They locked up, Zhou Xiaoling carrying Shanzi on her back, and hurried to the town post office.

It had just opened for the afternoon.

Zhou Xiaoling put Shanzi down, dialed, and passed the phone to Lin Xiaoxiao once it connected to the Zhou household.

Li Yunlan answered. "Hello?"

"Mom, is Zhou Huaian there?" Lin Xiaoxiao blurted, voice tense.

Hearing the urgency, Li Yunlan glanced at Zhou Huaian, who had just walked in. "Yes, yes, he's here. I'll put him on."

She called him over.

Just knowing he was safe made Lin Xiaoxiao's anxiety dissolve—but then her eyes welled up.

When his low "Hello?" came through, she couldn't hold back her tears.

"Zhou Suo... when are you coming home?" she whispered, voice trembling.

Zhou Huaian was startled to hear her crying. "Xiaoxiao? What's wrong? Did someone upset you?"

Wiping her tears, she sniffled. "No... I just miss you. When are you coming back?"

Maybe it was the pregnancy making her emotional, but hearing his voice made her want to cry even more.

Zhou Huaian hesitated. Things were more complicated than expected. "I'll come home as soon as I can. Do you need money? Don't cry..."

Her crying tied his heart in knots. He barely knew what to say—all he wanted was to drop everything and go back to her.