So, she had not been reading any books.

Previously, the original owner of her house had left quite a few books behind, and she had selected several to bring over.

After all, it wasn't convenient for her to go out and buy books herself.

Now, as she took a closer look, she realized that they were all literary works and foreign publications.

In the foreign language books, there were many details marked with a fountain pen, the handwriting delicate and neat.

As she kept reading, a strange memory suddenly surfaced in her mind.

She was stunned for quite a while until she was awakened by the voice of her younger son.

"Mom, what kind of book is this?"

Her younger son was holding his completed homework, something he had to do every day recently.

After finishing his homework, he would have his mom check it and then receive praise.

There hadn't been a single moment where he felt that doing homework could bring such joy.

However, today he was very curious because the book in his mom's hand looked very strange, full of combinations of unfamiliar letters that he couldn't understand despite looking at it for a long time.

Mom was staring blankly at the book; could it be very important to her?

The younger son couldn't help but take a few more glances. The dense text full of foreign characters made his eyes hurt.

So he asked curiously.

Si Nian snapped back to reality, her expression somewhat dazed.

She finally understood why the original owner had so many foreign books.

It turned out the original owner's dream was to study abroad.

The original owner had excellent grades, and with her qualifications, studying abroad wasn't difficult.

In those days, studying abroad was challenging. It required not only money but also talent and passing multiple screenings.

However, the original owner met all the criteria but lost out because she had a fiancé.

For Fu Yang, she not only gave up a promising academic career but also abandoned her dream of studying abroad.

Who would have thought it would lead to such an outcome?

No wonder she committed suicide.

Everyone thought she chose to commit suicide because she didn't want to leave the Si family and shamelessly insisted on staying.

But after looking at the notes, Si Nian realized that the original owner was truly heartbroken and had lost the will to live.

She had given up everything for love, only to be abandoned by it in the end.

It's something anyone would find hard to accept.

Si Nian sighed.

The original owner's feelings for Fu Yang were indeed deep, which made her fate even more regrettable.

Unfortunately, she loved the wrong person.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up so tragically.

She came back to her senses and saw the curious look in her younger son's eyes, then glanced at the book.

She remembered that in the rural areas at that time, English wasn't taught yet; only the towns and cities placed some importance on it.

Not to mention the younger son, even the older son probably hadn't been exposed to it.

They would likely have to wait until middle school, when they went to school in town, to encounter it.

This was why people in the city found learning easier compared to them.

They were exposed to it too late.

Si Nian herself had studied languages and deeply understood their importance.

The best time to learn a language is during childhood.

She closed the book and asked, "Xiao Han, do you want to learn?"

Zhou Zehan's eyes immediately lit up, and he nodded eagerly. "I do!"

This strange thing that Mom could understand made her seem amazing.

If he could learn it, he would be as amazing as his mom.

"Then when Mom has time, I'll teach you and your brother. It's getting late now, so I'll go make dinner first. You take your sister to play."

Zhou Zehan nodded enthusiastically. "Yay! Let's go play with sister."

Si Nian went downstairs to make dinner. Just as she started cooking the rice, someone arrived.

Zhu Yun stood at the Zhou family's door, holding a bamboo basket and looking a bit anxious.

"Zhu Saozi, what brings you here?" Si Nian asked.

Zhu Yun looked slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Si Nian, about the trouble my family caused last time. I truly apologize. These are some eggs I've been saving up. There aren't many, but please use them to nourish the children."

She handed the basket to Si Nian.

Si Nian raised an eyebrow as she looked at the eggs in the basket.

"Actually, I didn't plan on helping you," she said directly.

Zhu Yun was taken aback.

Si Nian continued, "I'm someone who avoids trouble and didn't intend to speak up for you."

Zhu Yun's expression grew even more awkward.

"Then, why did you..." Zhu Yun stammered.

"Because of Zhang Qian. I was about to leave, but she insisted on dragging me into it. I couldn't stand her disgusting behavior, so I decided to help you."

"So you don't need to thank me or give me anything. It was just a matter of mutual interest."

Zhu Yun said, "No matter what, if it weren't for you speaking up for me, I... I wouldn't know what to do now." Her eyes reddened, and she lowered her head.

"You were lucky this time that I could explain things for you," Si Nian said calmly. "But you should be aware that this incident was clearly someone targeting you. I can help you once, but I can't help you for a lifetime. Some things you need to resolve on your own."

Zhu Yun's lips trembled, and her face turned pale.

Si Nian knew that Zhu Yun understood what she meant.

However, some things can't be achieved just by wanting them.

Without experiencing others' hardships, one can't fully understand their feelings.

But if you don't make an effort for yourself, you'll always be trampled underfoot by others.

Si Nian didn't accept her eggs.

Zhu Yun left feeling dejected.

She thought that would be the end of it, but the next day, Mrs. Zhang herself came over.

She also brought a basket of eggs, smiling warmly at Si Nian.

"Young Zhou's wife, about that misunderstanding with my third daughter-in-law, don't take it to heart. Auntie is here sincerely to apologize."

She had heard that several people had come to Si Nian recently to learn how to make pastries.

When her daughter-in-law went over yesterday, she didn't stop her, thinking she could bring up the matter of learning pastry-making.

But who knew, even the eggs weren't accepted.

Mrs. Zhang figured Si Nian must still be upset about the previous incident, so she came personally this time.

Upon hearing this, Si Nian smiled, "Auntie, you're here to apologize? That's not necessary."

"There's nothing wrong with it. Why be so formal with Auntie? This is all as it should be."

Despite her words, Mrs. Zhang still hadn't managed to give away the eggs.

Seeing people around watching, she made a show of offering them again.

Who knew Si Nian would say she wouldn't accept them, but then promptly take the eggs from Mrs. Zhang, leaving her bewildered.

Si Nian looked at her with a resigned expression and said, "Alright, considering how sincerely you've come to apologize, if I don't accept it now, it would be like not giving you face. I'll accept your apology, Auntie, you're truly a good person."

Mrs. Zhang: "Green bean cakes."

Si Nian: "Let's just put the green bean cakes incident behind us. Everyone already knows you didn't mean any harm. Don't worry about it."

Mrs. Zhang: "I mean, to learn..."

Si Nian: "Ah, I understand. You're worried that Zhu Saozi learning to make green bean cakes will distract her from her household duties, right? Don't worry, I've already talked to Zhu Saozi. She won't be bothered to do these things again in the future. You can rest assured."

Mrs. Zhang: *silence*

After the wedding, Zhou Yue resumed his usual busy schedule.

He came home late at night, so Si Nian only felt his presence in the wee hours.

With nothing else to do at home, Si Nian decided to teach her two children English and planned to go to the city to buy some basic English books for them.

She took Yao Yao on a bike ride to the town, where they caught a bus to the city and visited a primary school library.

It was one of the few schools in the area that focused on foreign languages. The Si family had spent quite a bit of money to send her to study there for face.

Today, it appeared that the school was still holding some kind of ceremony, with banners raised and the atmosphere very lively.

As soon as Si Nian led the children over, someone called out to her.

"Si Nian!"