Cheng Mingzhong fell silent, his brow furrowed in thought. Compared to the present situation, he had always held a deeper respect for Lin Xiaoxiao's biological father—a man of integrity who took responsibility.

That said, he couldn't exactly blame his sister for remarrying. Life moved on, and no one expected her to remain a widow forever. What bothered him was how quickly she had moved on—and how she had all but abandoned the daughter from her first marriage.

Hearing that Lin Xiaoxiao was already married stirred complicated feelings in him.

Seeing her brother's silence, Cheng Mingyue quickly explained, "You know how it is—Xiaoxiao didn't grow up with me. We never bonded. After she came back at fifteen, she became defiant. I was always worried she'd fall in with a bad crowd. When she said she wanted to get married, I let her."

Cheng Mingzhong remained quiet for a long moment before responding, "If Xiaoxiao was disobedient, it's because you failed her as a mother. You weren't there while she grew up. You didn't raise her. How could you expect her to listen to you? I wrote to you before—I told you to care for her and show her some warmth. A mother is responsible for her child."

Cheng Mingyue felt wronged. "I had Dalong and Hongyan to look after. I didn't have the energy to watch over her too. Besides, she had a better life with our parents than she ever would've had with me. Everything I did was for her own good."

Cheng Mingzhong shook his head. "Mingyue, you're her mother. If you had given Xiaoxiao even half the attention you gave Dalong and Hongyan, you wouldn't be calling her difficult."

Cheng Mingyue knew her brother disapproved of her current husband and how she'd left Lin Xiaoxiao with their parents. Pushing the topic would only anger him further, so she changed the subject.

"I understand, brother. I'll do better by Xiaoxiao from now on. Actually, we came here to ask you something."

She pulled Lin Dalong forward. "Dalong is eighteen now. He studied hard for the college entrance exam this year, but he got too nervous and didn't do well. We were hoping you could help find a way for him to continue his studies."

Cheng Mingzhong looked at her, surprised. "What are you thinking? The schools aren't mine to run. I can't just get him in. Besides, you could've written to me about this. There was no need to come all this way."

Cheng Mingyue knew that, of course. But a letter would've been too easy for him to ignore. The thought of Lin Xiaoxiao attending a prestigious university stuck in her throat. She'd decided to show up in person—they wouldn't leave until her son was enrolled.

"Brother, I know you can help. Weren't you the one who recommended the neighbor's kid for university a few years back?"

Cheng Mingzhong sighed. Although he worked in logistics at the headquarters, he was only a low-level section chief. He had no authority to hand out college placements.

"That kid was exceptional. He stood out at his job, and it was a group decision after thorough review."

Cheng Mingyue didn't respond, but her disbelief was clear. They were here now, and she wasn't leaving until her son had a spot in school.

Unbeknownst to Lin Xiaoxiao, she and Cheng Mingyue were now living in the same compound.

After a warm bath and a long nap, she woke to find it was already dark outside.

The comfort of central heating was pure bliss compared to the coal stove she was used to. Still, she'd been feeling occasional tightening in her belly that made her uneasy.

Lin Xiaoxiao rested a hand on her stomach, thinking. By her estimate, her due date should be early April. It was almost February now—she was seven months along, and with twins, early labor was always a possibility. Could it be starting already?

She decided it was best to be prepared. These two little ones might just decide to make an appearance around Chinese New Year.

She pushed herself up from the bed and waited, but Zhou Huai'an hadn't returned. Easing herself off the mattress, she headed out to find him. She wanted to talk to him and Zhong Wenqing—it was time to get ready. The babies could come anytime.

Just as she stepped out of her room, she ran into Zhou Xiaohong, who was also leaving hers.

Zhou Xiaohong paused, looking caught off guard. With no one else around, she seemed reluctant to greet Lin Xiaoxiao. The shadow of her past with Hu Yaozong still clung to her, a vine of shame she couldn't shake.

It made her feel inferior, and her parents' attitude lately only made it worse. She lowered her head and walked past without a word.

Lin Xiaoxiao shrugged. If Zhou Xiaohong didn't want to acknowledge her, that was fine. She was still the elder sister-in-law, after all. Holding her belly, she made her way carefully down the stairs, one slow step at a time.

Li Yunlan and the others were in the living room discussing dinner and New Year's plans—whether they should invite relatives over to meet Zhou Huai'an and his wife.

Looking up, Li Yunlan spotted Lin Xiaoxiao cautiously descending the stairs with the support of the railing. She immediately stood up.

Zhou Huai'an was already on his way, quickly moving to help Lin Xiaoxiao down.

It was warm inside, so Lin Xiaoxiao was only wearing corduroy overalls over a sweater Li Yunlan had knitted for her. The outfit accentuated her large belly and made her movements look especially clumsy.

Li Yunlan smiled. "You slept quite a while. I was just about to have Huai'an wake you so you wouldn't be up all night."

Lin Xiaoxiao grinned. "It feels like it's been forever since I slept that well. When I woke up, I almost thought I was still in the residential compound."

Li Yunlan went to pour her a cup of spiced apple tea—she'd boiled apples retrieved from the root cellar earlier that afternoon.

Zhou Xiaohong sat silently on the sofa, watching the family fuss over Lin Xiaoxiao. Her eyes lingered on Lin Xiaoxiao's belly, her thoughts hidden.

After dinner, Lin Xiaoxiao quietly told Li Yunlan that she had a feeling the babies might come early, and they should be prepared.

Li Yunlan grew concerned. "Let's go to the hospital tomorrow for a check-up. The doctors here are very good. They should be able to tell if you're close to delivery."

Lin Xiaoxiao agreed. "Okay, we'll go tomorrow. Then we can enjoy the New Year without worry."

Li Yunlan mentioned it to Zhou Zhennan, who took it very seriously. That evening, he arranged for a car to take Lin Xiaoxiao to the hospital first thing the next morning. The birth of Lin Xiaoxiao's children was the Zhou family's top priority.

So the next morning, as Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Huai'an were preparing to leave for the hospital, Li Yunlan still felt uneasy.

"I should go with you. Let's go to Union Hospital—I have a cousin who works there. We might be able to pull some strings."

Lin Xiaoxiao felt it wasn't necessary. Few people went to the hospital for prenatal check-ups in those days, so it wouldn't be too crowded.

"You can wait at home. We'll be back soon after the check-up."

But Li Yunlan wasn't convinced. She followed them all the way to the front gate.

Meanwhile, Cheng Mingyue had also stepped out early with Lin Dalong and Lin Hongyan. She planned to buy Li Jing a gift at the department store—anything to improve her sister-in-law's mood so they could stay a little longer.

And then, right there among the small western-style villas—who should they run into but Lin Xiaoxiao!