Lin Xiaoxiao immediately looked over at Zhou Xiaocheng—she was just as curious.

Zhou Xiaoling looked confused. "Second Brother, you've been going out every night?"

Zhou Xiaocheng nodded. "Yes, I'm looking for someone. Haven't found them yet."

Zhou Zhennan pressed further, "Who is it? Do you need help? I could ask Uncle Gong to assist."

Zhou Xiaocheng shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I should find them soon."

Lin Xiaoxiao was curious about who he was searching for, but didn't feel it was her place to ask. Zhou Xiaoling, however, had no such reservations. "Who are you looking for? I can help! I know plenty of people."

Zhou Xiaocheng smiled at her. "You? You'd only get in the way. Don't worry, it's nothing serious—just helping an old man find his descendants. Shouldn't be much longer."

Zhou Zhennan didn't ask any more. Zhou Xiaoling lost interest once she heard it wasn't anything exciting, and after dinner she went upstairs with Lin Xiaoxiao to play with the babies.

At just over two months old, the infants weren't very interactive yet, still lost in their own little worlds.

But that didn't stop Zhou Xiaoling from spending ages waving a handkerchief in front of them, calling each one by name.

Zhou Liyun watched, amused. "They'll be more fun after they turn three months old. Right now, all they do is eat and sleep. Once they hit that hundred-day mark, they'll become much more engaging."

Zhou Xiaoling still found them utterly fascinating, even nibbling on their chubby little feet.

Lin Xiaoxiao stood by, smiling as she gazed at the three babies, her thoughts drifting slightly. By the time they reach a hundred days, Zhou Huaian should be back... shouldn't he?

Li Yunlan came upstairs and urged Zhou Liyun to go rest for a while, offering to look after the children herself.

After Zhou Liyun went downstairs, Li Yunlan said to Lin Xiaoxiao, "The babies will be a hundred days old in May. I was thinking we wouldn't throw a big party—just a family meal, and then hire a photographer to take some pictures."

With Zhou Huaian away, she felt it was especially important to document each stage of the children's growth, so he could see what he'd missed when he returned.

Lin Xiaoxiao understood. "That sounds good. The weather will be warmer by then—we could take photos in the courtyard."

Li Yunlan didn't think the location mattered much. After all, with black-and-white photos, you couldn't really tell how pretty the background was anyway.

After discussing the photo session, Li Yunlan brought up another matter with Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Xiaoling. "Aunt Liyun has been with us for over two months now. Your father and I were thinking of giving her fifty yuan a month. Looking after the children is hard work."

Lin Xiaoxiao had no objection—fifty yuan was a significant sum. Zhou Huaian's salary was just over fifty, and Zhou Xiaoling only made thirty-two and a half a month.

Zhou Xiaoling agreed. "Mom, I can contribute part of my salary too."

Li Yunlan laughed. "Our family isn't so poor that we need your money."

Lin Xiaoxiao knew perfectly well that while Zhou Zhennan and Li Yunlan earned slightly higher salaries, they also had to cover all the household expenses—and they always bought the best for the family.

Even Grandpa Zhou Bingwen used his pension to help out. Day-to-day life seemed comfortable, but there were no real savings to speak of. I should find a way to start earning some money myself, she thought.

"Mom," she said, "let me pay Aunt Liyun's salary. I have money."

But Li Yunlan wouldn't hear of it. "You keep your money for yourself. Focus on your studies—you don't need to worry about household matters. We have enough. I just wanted to keep you both informed."

When Zhou Liyun heard about the proposed monthly salary, she firmly refused. "Sister-in-law, if you pay me, you're treating me like a stranger. I'm free right now—my kids are all married with families of their own. At home, I just felt in the way... especially with my daughter-in-law and I not getting along."

"I was unhappy every day there. Here, I'm always in good spirits—and I eat well too! Look how much weight I've put on!"

"Besides, back when we first got married and were so poor, you and Big Brother gave us quilts, pots, and bowls—that's how we started our home. Every time we had nothing to eat, I came to you with my children, and you never hesitated to share a bowl of rice or noodles. That's kindness I'll never forget."

"How could I possibly take your money now? I wouldn't be human."

Li Yunlan felt that was beside the point. "That was all in the past. You're working hard now—you deserve to be paid. It wouldn't feel right otherwise."

But Zhou Liyun wouldn't budge. "If you insist, I'll go back home tomorrow. Sister-in-law, I may not be educated, but I know about gratitude and loyalty."

She was genuinely upset now. "Doing this... it makes me feel like an outsider. It hurts."

Seeing how serious she was, Li Yunlan quickly reassured her. "Alright, alright, don't be angry. You're family—of course you're not an outsider. We're all so relieved to have you taking care of the children. Without you these past two months, we wouldn't have had time to even eat properly."

Zhou Xiaoling whispered to Lin Xiaoxiao, "My mom has always been soft-hearted. She can't bear to see anyone suffering or going hungry. Whenever relatives came asking for rice or flour, she always gave it."

Lin Xiaoxiao knew she couldn't be that selfless. She was somewhat selfish—she'd help others if she could, but only after making sure she herself was secure.

She could never be like Li Yunlan, who gave to others even when her own family was barely getting by.

Zhou Xiaocheng went out again that night, very late—well past midnight. The streets were empty by then, and it was only near the ghost market that he began to see a few people.

He checked the time before entering the market. The narrow alley was unusually quiet; even those haggling did so in hushed tones.

It was only further in, near the end, that things grew lively. Small clusters of people gathered here and there. In the heart of mid-spring, some even carried woven grass cages, gathering for cricket fights.

Zhou Xiaocheng moved inconspicuously closer until he saw a group huddled intently around a clay pot, shining flashlights carefully into it.

Someone yelled, "Kill it! Kill that ugly thing!"

The owner of the "ugly thing" immediately took offense. A clear, sharp voice retorted, "Who are you calling ugly? You're the ugly one! Your whole family is ugly! If you can't handle losing, just pay up!"

Before Zhou Xiaocheng could step forward, someone else was faster—a hand shot out and grabbed the owner of the "ugly thing."

"Well, well. Finally caught you."

Zhou Xiaocheng was surprised to see Lin Wenbin again!

Lin hadn't slept well these past few days spent searching, and now his patience was gone. He pulled hard, dragging a scrawny young woman toward him. "What's your name? Think you can run?"

Her features were hard to distinguish in the dim light, but her eyes shone bright and fierce. She glared back fearlessly. "Let go of me, or I'll scream that you're assaulting me!"

Lin Wenbin snorted coldly. "Go ahead and scream. Let's see how brave you really are. How dare you show your face here again?"

As he tried to pull her away, she suddenly drove her knee upward—fast and hard.