Moreover, she was not only beautiful but also from the city, yet she wasn't arrogant at all. Everyone's opinion of this true Lin family daughter improved significantly, with many praising her for being sensible. No one thought she had done anything wrong because of the earlier incident.

In these times, people valued family ties greatly. Some even believed that sharing good things with relatives was normal. Sometimes, if you didn't share, people would think you were stingy and selfish. But Si Nian believed that sharing should only happen in a harmonious relationship where everyone helps each other.

With relatives like Uncle Lin, who are keen on moral blackmail, she would stand her ground firmly. If one came, she'd deal with one; if two came, she'd handle both. She wouldn't compromise because giving in once would only lead to more demands. Sometimes, trying to keep the peace only makes the other party see you as an easy target, leading them to escalate their demands.

Soon, everyone forgot about this small incident.

Lin Xue, who had been eavesdropping outside and hoping to see Si Nian get scolded, was furious when she saw that not only was Si Nian not reprimanded, but everyone was praising her and treating her like a star. When someone mentioned Lin Xue with disdain, her face turned even uglier. At this point, no one cared about what she thought or how she felt.

As the wedding date approached, the family discussed the timing for registering the marriage. They finally decided on two days later. The Lin family spent a bustling and festive day preparing, and Si Nian talked so much that her lips felt dry. When she got home, she was too exhausted to even wash her face and fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed.

Zhou Yueshen entered the room and saw her lying on the bed, her long black hair spread out like a waterfall, resembling a beautiful painting of a sleeping beauty. He moved quietly to the desk, took out a key, and unlocked a drawer. Inside, he retrieved the household register and Si Nian's ID card. Among these items were numerous medals and military documents.

He then used the key to open the wardrobe and took out a neatly folded green military uniform. These were items he hadn't touched since leaving the military. Glancing at the defenseless figure on the bed, Zhou Yueshen closed the wardrobe, walked over, and gently pulled the blanket over her.

Since Si Nian was going back home for a few days before getting married, both families agreed that she would return home after registering the marriage and come back on the wedding day. During these days, Zhou Yueshen was quite busy, so he thought of asking someone to help take care of the three children. He couldn't bear to see the children being neglected, especially after what happened with Aunt Liu. Besides, it was only for a few days, so he wasn't worried about any ill intentions from the helper. Everyone was happy to lend a hand.

At the dinner table, Zhou Yueshen brought up the matter, and Si Nian agreed. After all, with two children needing to go to school, it wouldn't be easy to take care of Yao Yao herself. Zhou Yueshen probably worried that others would gossip if they saw her like that. It was acceptable to hire someone to take care of Yao Yao for a few days. So, Si Nian had no objections.

However, while she didn't mind, the two children looked uneasy. They both seemed scared, even losing their appetite. Just as Zhou Yueshen was about to leave for the pig farm, the two children stopped eating and ran up to him, shouting loudly.

"Dad, we don't want anyone to take care of us."

"Aunt Liu is bad. She steals things and hits Sister. We don't want her anymore."

"I only want Mom. Mom, don't leave."

Si Nian was puzzled by the children's behavior but heard her younger son sobbing as he spoke. Her heart shattered instantly.

Listening to his son's words, Zhou Yueshen's expression turned cold, and his pitch-black eyes flickered with anger, devoid of any warmth. In the past, the children would have been terrified by his expression and wouldn't dare say another word. However, they had changed a lot recently. They spoke urgently and with fear written all over their faces.

The shadows cast by Aunt Liu and that woman were like a sealed dream, suddenly unveiled and presented in the depths of the children's minds, impossible to forget.

After Si Nian arrived, their lives underwent tremendous changes. Happiness, warmth, joy... After tasting the sweetness, they became even more afraid of a recurrence of the past. Plus, with Si Nian leaving and them having to interact with others, their fear intensified.

The elder child remained relatively composed, but the younger one was on the verge of tears.

"Mom's cooking is delicious. I don't want to eat anyone else's."

"We don't want Mom to leave."

"Aunt Liu's cooking is bad, and she scolds me. Mom never scolds me."

"Aunt Liu also hits Sister. I hate her."

"Sob, sob, I don't want anyone else, just Mom..."

Hearing his son cry, Zhou Yueshen felt uneasy. He got out of the car and crouched down, patting his son's head gently. "Mom will be back in a few days. Little Han, you need to be good."

Zhou Yueshan, with tears streaming down his face, replied, "Then I want to go with Mom. I don't want to be with anyone else."

Zhou Yuedong clenched his lips tightly, his eyes hollow.

Si Nian sighed and approached them. "Alright, don't cry. Mom won't leave."

Zhou Yueshan immediately stopped crying and turned to her. "Really?"

Si Nian nodded. "Yes, really."

Looking at Zhou Yueshen, she said, "I'll stay a few more days. I'll come back the night before the wedding. It's not far away anyway, and my parents will understand."

Zhou Yueshen stood up, his deep eyes filled with guilt, his voice low and solemn. "I'm sorry for putting you through this."

Si Nian shook her head. Then, she looked at the two children who were eagerly watching, smiling. "Stop crying now. I've talked to your dad, and I won't go back. No one else will take care of you."

The two little ones stopped crying immediately upon hearing Si Nian's words. Zhou Yueshan happily hugged his dad's leg and exclaimed, "Dad, you're the best!"

Seeing the happy children, Zhou Yueshen looked up at Si Nian. The children had never been so close to him before. Si Nian approached and gently touched Zhou Yuedong's head before turning to Zhou Yueshen. "Alright, you can go back to work now."

"Come here, Little Han. Let Dad go to work." This man had been busy these days.

Zhou Yueshan happily ran back and held her hand.

That morning, there was a heavy rain, making the ground slippery. The mountain was covered in white mist, and smoke rose from the village nestled within, resembling a beautiful ink painting from a distance.

Si Nian sat behind Zhou Yueshen on the motorcycle, observing the backward village before her, feeling a sense of tranquility in her heart.

They soon arrived in town. Zhou Yueshen parked the motorcycle and took Si Nian to the police station.

Si Nian was puzzled. "Why are we going to the police station? Isn't it the civil affairs bureau for marriage registration in this era? Let me check it on Baidu..." After checking, she realized they should be going to the civil affairs bureau.

Zhou Yueshen stopped in his tracks, his tone serious. "According to reader feedback, the two children being in the same generation as me doesn't make sense. So, to prevent the author from being criticized, I plan to change the names of the two children while we register the marriage."