Lin Xiaoxiao didn't believe in such superstitions, yet she had no explanation for Xuanxuan's persistent aggression towards Qianqian. It had started when they were just three months old—Xuanxuan would hoist his leg onto his brother. Once he could crawl, he actively sought Qianqian out to bully him.

If they were truly "sworn enemies from a past life," shouldn't Xuanxuan possess some memory of it, some hint of maturity? But he still frantically impatient at feeding time, clapped his hands with joy at the sight of food, and chewed on anything he could get his mouth on—feet, table legs, shoes. He wet the bed and his pants just like any other baby. None of it pointed to a child harboring the wisdom of a previous existence.

Zhou Liyun returned with a damp cloth to wipe the children's faces and hands. "Our An'an is still the most obedient one. She never snatches her brothers' things. She only started crying because she saw them crying. If An'an ever decided to fight for something, those two boys combined wouldn't stand a chance." The little girl was astonishingly strong, a stark contrast to her delicate, doll-like appearance.

Lin Xiaoxiao patted the still-sniffling Xuanxuan, attempting to reason with him. "This is your brother. You, your brother, and your sister all came from Mama's tummy. You have the closest relationship possible. So you mustn't hit your brother. You should protect him and your sister."

Xuanxuan's eyes welled up with fresh, self-pitying tears. He pointed a tiny finger at Qianqian and launched into an unintelligible stream of babble. While no adult could understand a word, the intent was clear: he was listing Qianqian's offenses, justifying why he had to hit him.

Qianqian, tears streaming down his own face, held up his little hand, the red tooth marks still visible, his cries filled with a deeper sense of injustice.

Li Yunlan sighed. "You see? This is how it always is between these two. Each one thinks he's the wronged party. This Xuanxuan... maybe we should do as your Aunt Liyun says. Find someone to take a look and see what's really going on. If he's this bad now, won't he be even worse when he's stronger?"

Lin Xiaoxiao hesitated. At heart, she was resistant. For some reason, the idea of visiting a fortune-teller unsettled her. She felt that while most were charlatans, if they happened upon a genuine seer, they might see that her soul didn't belong in this world.

Zhou Huaian frowned. "What era is this, that you're still engaging in such superstitious nonsense? I don't believe a word of it. Xuanxuan and Qianqian are just babies; they don't understand anything."

With his clear stance, Li Yunlan and Zhou Liyun didn't dare insist. They quickly backtracked. "You're right, of course. Once they pass their first birthday and start talking, we'll understand what's happening. And when they're both a little older and sensible, they'll probably stop fighting."

Zhou Liyun chimed in eagerly, "Exactly! They're still babies who put everything in their mouths. What can they possibly know? They'll grow out of it."

She then changed the subject, addressing Li Yunlan. "Sister-in-law, I was thinking of going back for a visit when Xiaoxiao has a day off. Is that alright?"

Li Yunlan readily agreed. "Of course it is! You've been here so long without a visit home. You should definitely go. Take some of the liquor, powdered milk, and cakes from here with you. Oh, and buy some meat too. Otherwise, Yumei might have something to say." Zhao Yumei was Zhou Liyun's daughter-in-law, and the two had never gotten along, which was why Zhou Liyun had stayed with the Zhous for so long without visiting her own family, despite living in the same city.

Zhou Liyun waved her hands dismissively. "No, no, I won't take anything. I'll just go see them and stay one night before coming back."

Li Yunlan disagreed. "That won't do. If you go back empty-handed, Hongmei will certainly be displeased, and it will just lead to unhappiness. Taking gifts will at least save face for her."

Zhou Liyun didn't refuse again. "Alright, I'll listen to you, sister-in-law. Just the one night." She thought to herself that if her daughter-in-law made her feel unwelcome, she'd come back that very evening.

This was the first time Lin Xiaoxiao had heard Zhou Liyun mention her family situation. She knew the relationship with the daughter-in-law was strained, but Zhou Liyun had never said why. Lin Xiaoxiao appreciated that about her; despite the problems, she never spoke ill of her daughter-in-law or aired the family's dirty laundry, so no one felt comfortable prying.

As they were chatting about domestic matters, Luo Anran arrived, carrying a bundle of frozen, rock-hard hairtail fish.

Since she was already inside, Li Yunlan couldn't very well turn her away, but she politely refused. "Anran, you shouldn't have brought anything. You must take the fish back with you later. We have everything we need here."

Luo Anran's first glance fell on Zhou Huaian. Mistaking him for Zhou Xiaocheng, her heart leapt, thinking her visit was fortuitous. A smile spread across her face. "Auntie, these were distributed by my work unit. We got ten pounds, more than we can eat. I remembered Xiaocheng likes hairtail." She looked toward Zhou Huaian, but this time she saw the scar and his distinct features clearly. She froze for a long moment, realizing this wasn't Zhou Xiaocheng after all.

Disliking the way Luo Anran was looking at her husband, Lin Xiaoxiao stood up, still holding Xuanxuan, and positioned herself slightly in front of Zhou Huaian. "Ten pounds isn't that much. Your family can take your time eating it. It's cold enough to keep. You can have it right up to the New Year, and then you'll need to buy less holiday food." She paused briefly. "We appreciate the gesture, but we really can't accept it. It wouldn't be good for your reputation. You know how many people in this compound are just waiting for our two families to become a laughingstock."

Her tone lacked Li Yunlan's politeness; it was simple and direct. If Luo Anran wanted to win back Zhou Xiaocheng, she could do so by dealing with him directly and having him bring her home. Showing up like this was just brazen.

Luo Anran's face paled. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she looked at Li Yunlan with a wounded expression. "Auntie, I didn't think that far. I just thought about how much Xiaocheng likes this fish, and it's so hard to get now, with the rationing... so I brought some over." She offered a bitter smile. "I know how I must look, coming here like this. I'm a joke. Please, just take the fish, Auntie. I won't come again."

Lin Xiaoxiao looked at her, surprised. She'd never seen this side of Luo Anran before—this melodramatic, feigned innocence. Who was this performance for?

Before Li Yunlan could respond, Lin Xiaoxiao smiled coolly. "That won't be necessary. As you know, our family doesn't like to take advantage of small favors. If we can't have hairtail, we'll do without. After all, there are other fish—carp, crucian carp, perch, saury. They'll do just fine."