With overwhelming evidence, Lin Sisi was taken back to the police station for further investigation. On her wedding day, the bride was arrested by the police, causing immense embarrassment for both the Fu and Si families.

Seeing her daughter being taken away, Si Mother turned pale and nearly fainted from the shock. Noticing Si Nian and Zhou Yue Shen nearby, she stumbled over and grasped Si Nian's hand. "Nian Nian, I truly didn't know about this matter. I know Sisi was wrong. On her behalf, I apologize to you. Please... please let her go this once!"

At this point, Zhang Cui Mei wasn't foolish.

Although Zhang Cui Mei was furious, she couldn't simply let her daughter be taken away by the police. Despite her deep disdain for theft, which she found shameful, she knew they had wronged Lin Sisi by keeping her in the countryside for so many years, leading to her current state. She felt that she had no right to blame her daughter.

Even though it was unfair to Si Nian, Zhang Cui Mei believed that they had spent more than three thousand yuan on Lin Sisi over the past ten years, considering how well she had been treated in the Si family. She reasoned that it could be seen as compensation, given that Lin Sisi was now living well and hadn't been harmed.

Si Nian looked at Zhang Cui Mei, who was crying bitterly, but felt no sympathy. The plea to "let her go this once" was impossible to accept. Lin Sisi had clearly intended to frame her by stealing the three thousand yuan to force her into a marriage. Despite not understanding how an eighteen-year-old could harbor such malicious schemes, as the victim, Si Nian could not simply forgive Lin Sisi.

Si Nian stared at Zhang Cui Mei with wide eyes, her expression one of disbelief as she took a step back, seemingly struck by the emotional impact. "Auntie, I've called you my mother for over ten years. Even though I'm not your biological daughter, I treated you as my own mother. Lin Sisi stole three thousand yuan, forcing me into an arranged marriage and losing everything. You ask me to forgive her—who will forgive me?"

"When Lin Sisi was exposed, she still accused me of framing her. Everyone blamed me, the victim. Did you ever consider my feelings?"

Zhang Cui Mei's face alternated between shades of anger and guilt as she recalled the accusations she and others had made against Si Nian without understanding the situation. Before she could respond, Si Nian turned and buried her face in Zhou Yue Shen's chest, appearing heartbroken by the Si family's treatment.

Zhang Cui Mei was left speechless. She was caught off guard by Si Nian's reaction, not knowing how to respond. Her gaze shifted to Zhou Yue Shen, but meeting his cold, dark eyes sent a chill down her spine.

"Y- son-in-law... Sisi..." Zhang Cui Mei stammered, unable to find the right words.

Zhou Yue Shen interrupted her coldly, glancing down at Si Nian in his arms with an extremely frosty tone: "I've handed this matter over to the police for a thorough investigation. If you have any questions, contact the police."

"This case involving Lin Sisi isn't difficult—she just needs to return the 3,000 yuan. Given the relationship with the Si family, she definitely won't be sent to jail. However, the theft charge will ensure that she can never recover from it."

The group left.

The Si family was left red-faced and could not stop them.

Si Nian and Zhou Yue Shen did not leave immediately. Instead, they went to the hospital. Si Nian felt that Yao Yao's slow speech needed to be examined. Since they were already in the city, it was a good opportunity to have her checked.

In the novel, this child is described as having a communication disorder. She may seem foolish, but she is actually intelligent, able to read adults' expressions and behave appropriately, though she learns to speak very slowly.

Even though Si Nian would occasionally teach her, there was still little effect. The vocabulary learned was minimal. At nearly three years old, this was clearly abnormal.

After informing Zhou Yue Shen of this issue, he also took it seriously.

The little girl, on her first visit to the hospital, was not afraid at all. In fact, the sounds of crying children around her made her curious, and she looked around with interest.

Perhaps having never encountered so many children before, she seemed a bit excited.

The examination was quite complicated, given the current backward medical technology. Zhou Yue Shen and Si Nian spent an entire afternoon taking the child for tests and blood draws.

When the needle pricked her, the little one frowned in pain and was about to cry. But in the next moment, Si Nian quickly popped a White Rabbit candy into her mouth.

The little girl's attention was immediately diverted, and she began to munch on the candy happily.

Even though Si Nian would occasionally teach her, there was still little effect. The vocabulary learned was minimal. At nearly three years old, this was clearly abnormal.

After informing Zhou Yue Shen of this issue, he also took it seriously.

The little girl, on her first visit to the hospital, was not afraid at all. In fact, the sounds of crying children around her made her curious, and she looked around with interest.

Perhaps having never encountered so many children before, she seemed a bit excited.

The examination was quite complicated, given the current backward medical technology. Zhou Yue Shen and Si Nian spent an entire afternoon taking the child for tests and blood draws.

When the needle pricked her, the little one frowned in pain and was about to cry. But in the next moment, Si Nian quickly popped a White Rabbit candy into her mouth.

The little girl's attention was immediately diverted, and she began to munch on the candy happily.

Zhou Yue Shen glanced at Si Nian, finding her truly impressive. Despite her young age, she was remarkably experienced in taking care of children.

The results of the examination would only be available the next day. Since traveling back and forth to the city was too troublesome, they stayed the night at the health clinic.

Early the next morning, Zhou Yue Shen went out to buy breakfast for both of them. The morning sun was bright, streaming through the window and casting a warm glow on Si Nian's face, highlighting her fair skin and dazzling the eyes. She was standing by the bed, dressing Yaoyao.

Just as she was about to take the child outside, Captain Li from the police station arrived. They were there to take her statement. After all, Si Nian's conversation with Liu Dongdong could also serve as evidence.

Si Nian cooperated with the investigation. She did not lie but provided a detailed account to the police. She would not harm others, but she also could not tolerate being harmed herself.

Lin Sisi brought this upon herself, and Si Nian felt no sympathy for her.

"We have no other demands," Si Nian said firmly. "The judgment should be what it is, but the three thousand yuan must be returned, along with compensation."

"My biological parents treated Lin Sisi very well. Although the Lin family is poor, they never mistreated her. She harmed me, but what's worse is that she dragged down the parents who raised her for eighteen years and made the Lin family bear the disgrace. They suffered so much for three thousand yuan! This cannot be left unresolved!"

In fact, this matter could certainly be settled privately. The Si family didn't want Lin Sisi to go to prison and preferred to avoid escalating the situation. That's why the police came to discuss the matter with Si Nian and Zhou Yue Shen.

Since Zhou Yue Shen was not present, it fell to Si Nian to handle the situation. After all, she was now married to Zhou Yue Shen and had a certain level of authority.

Last night, Lin Sisi had been sobbing in the police station, claiming that she acted out of impulse. She felt that she deserved a luxurious life and was replaced, which led her to impulsively take the money in a misguided attempt to get back at Si Nian. She apologized profusely, saying she was willing to cooperate with the investigation and make compensation, hoping to be forgiven.

People still felt some sympathy for Lin Sisi, even though her circumstances were unfortunate. It was a tragic situation—she was a wealthy family's daughter, but due to a mix-up, she ended up living in poverty in the countryside for many years. Now that she had made a mistake and was actively seeking forgiveness, the police found it difficult to say much against her.

However, after hearing Si Nian's statement, they were left speechless. Lin Sisi had never mentioned the Lin family throughout her account and was only concerned with herself. In contrast, Si Nian, who had only recently returned home, was focused on seeking justice for her family. Despite being raised by the Si family for eighteen years, Lin Sisi's actions were driven purely by self-interest. She not only harmed Si Nian but also inflicted suffering on the foster parents who had raised her, and now she had the audacity to cry and claim injustice.

She was truly ungrateful. The police, being meticulous and observant, noted that despite Lin Sisi's years in the countryside, she appeared well-cared for and had no signs of hardship. Her hands didn't even bear a single callus.

If Lin Sisi's claims about having endured hardship in the countryside for over a decade were true, she wouldn't look like this. Even with minimal farm work, one's skin would show signs of roughness, but Lin Sisi displayed none of these signs. It was implausible that she could have transformed so quickly in such a short time. Moreover, their prior investigation revealed that the Lin family was extremely poor. To afford Lin Sisi's education, they delayed sending their two biological sons to school until they were nearly ten years old. They even sold everything they had to send her to high school, making her the only female student from the village to have reached that level of education.

Such ingratitude was unprecedented. It was clear that Lin Sisi's remorse was merely a facade to avoid punishment. Her young age and her ability to calmly steal a significant amount of money and lie without flinching were terrifying. People like her needed to be imprisoned for a period to undergo proper rehabilitation.

The police left soon after.

The Si family soon received news that Lin Sisi was being detained. The police deemed her case too severe and decided that she must face strict punishment. Since the victim refused to settle privately, Lin Sisi was certain to suffer the consequences.

The Si family was stunned by the news of their daughter's detention. However, their worry didn't stop there. On top of that, the compensation of three thousand yuan demanded by Zhou Yue Shen had to be covered by the Si family. Lin Sisi had long spent the money, fearing it might be discovered during the investigation.

While the Si family appeared prosperous on the surface, they were actually struggling financially. The recent wedding had nearly drained their savings. They had intended to hold a grand celebration for their daughter, with top-quality beverages and arrangements. To cover the expenses, Si Father had even borrowed money from relatives and friends, promising to repay them after the wedding.

Now, with the wedding yet to be completed, disaster struck. The Si family was not only embarrassed but also infamous throughout the entire military compound. Relatives and friends, eager to avoid any association with them, were pressing for repayment.

Si Father had not yet repaid all the borrowed money when the police announced their verdict. The three thousand yuan would need to be paid, and only after that would Lin Sisi's case be judged.

Zhang Cui Mei didn't want her daughter to go to prison, but she was too embarrassed to approach Si Nian directly, so she had to seek help from the Fu family. The Fu family, however, was reluctant to get involved. They were already disgraced by Lin Sisi's actions and had been in a foul mood for days.

The problem was that Lin Sisi and Fu Yang had already registered their marriage. Everyone in the military district knew about their marriage. With Lin Sisi getting into trouble, even though she deserved it, she was still Fu Yang's wife. If she were to go to jail, the Fu family would face significant embarrassment.

So, despite their irritation, they couldn't ignore the situation. Mrs. Zheng believed that the key to resolving this issue lay with Si Nian. She heard that Si Nian had not left yet, so she decided to send her daughter to find her.

Of course, Fu Qianqian wasn't sent to persuade Si Nian but rather to watch the drama unfold. Fu Qianqian wasn't concerned about whether Lin Sisi went to jail or not. She was more shocked by the events and felt deeply sympathetic toward Si Nian, who had been mistreated by Lin Sisi. She found it unforgivable.

On the other hand, this incident had a significant impact on her family, and even Fu Qianqian herself was being mocked. Her brother and parents were also affected. While Fu Qianqian sometimes found her brother annoying and narcissistic, her family had always been extremely affectionate toward her. With her brother becoming a laughingstock in the military district, she couldn't just stand by and do nothing. She was torn, feeling like both the palm and the back of her hand were being hurt, and she didn't know what to do.

When Si Nian saw the mother and daughter appearing at the hospital and noticed their awkward expressions, she knew why they had come. She didn't take it to heart but didn't give Mrs. Zheng a chance to persuade her either.

Although she remembered that Fu Yang's mother had been quite kind to her and was a very gentle woman, she couldn't deny that her judgment of her daughter-in-law was not very favorable.

Her desperation to marry off her son led to the trouble with Lin Sisi. Si Nian didn't give Mrs. Zheng a chance to offer any advice. Instead, she took the initiative, grasping Mrs. Zheng's hand and with teary eyes, expressed how Lin Sisi's actions had wronged her and her adoptive parents. She detailed how Lin Sisi's actions had led to her adoptive parents being ridiculed in their rural community, her father aging overnight, her mother falling ill, her brother struggling to support the family with multiple jobs, and her two younger brothers being neglected.

Mrs. Zheng, overwhelmed by Si Nian's distress, was left speechless and ended up comforting Si Nian before leaving in a huff.

Fu Qianqian secretly gave Si Nian a thumbs-up.

Fu's mother had come in person and found herself powerless, and it was out of the question to involve General Fu. The Si family had no choice but to put aside their pride and seek help from the gloomy Fu Yang.

The impact of this incident extended beyond Lin Sisi to Fu Yang as well. Now, even Fu Yang, the promising son-in-law, was being looked upon with fear. But there was no other option; Fu Yang was their last hope. They believed that Si Nian still had feelings for Fu Yang.

Since childhood, Si Nian had always been compliant with Fu Yang. No matter how big the problem, she would forgive him as long as Fu Yang spoke up.

Si Nian was having breakfast with Yao Yao, which Zhou Yue Shen had bought. After buying the breakfast, Zhou Yue Shen was busy waiting in line to get the results. The two children at home were being looked after by someone Zhou Yue Shen had called.

Yao Yao sat by the bed, swinging her little legs, and ate a big bun in small bites. Si Nian was drinking porridge when Yao Yao raised her hand, offering a bite, and said in a babyish voice, "Mama~ ah."

Si Nian opened her mouth to take a bite and then fed Yao Yao some porridge. The little girl's bright, watery eyes blinked happily.

Si Nian looked at the cute face of the little girl and hoped the check-up would show nothing serious. She wished for her child to grow up healthy.

Fu Yang walked into the hospital and saw this scene from a distance, coming to a halt.