Tian Jing and Li Zheng Guo had dinner at the courtyard house and then left with Xiao Mai.
Da Mai tearfully saw them off. "Xiao Mai, be good."
Xiao Mai nodded vigorously. "Big sister, don't worry, Little Aunt is the most capable."
Tears welled up in Da Mai's eyes. Her sister could only receive the best care by being with her Little Uncle and Little Aunt.
Watching the car disappear into the distance, Zhou Cheng Bin's heart was wrung with pain. How could he have messed everything up so badly?
…
Xiao Mai's entry into the special training team was not smooth because she was not someone who could control her behavior and could not sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Not wanting to trouble their youngest son, Tian Jing and Li Zheng Guo moved into the valley with Xiao Mai.
Li Wei Xin felt guilty. "Mom, if Uncle had been the captain, he would definitely have let us through."
"It's alright."
Tian Jing comforted her younger son. "Your ability, authority, and prestige have not reached the level of your Uncle. Learn more from him, accumulate more merit, and you will be even more capable than him. He was only at the third-level Great Perfection then, and you are already at the seventh level."
Li Wei Xin was not comforted. "But it's too simple for you and Dad to live here."
"It doesn't matter."
Li Zheng Guo spoke up. "It will be fine once it's tidied up. I can also spend time with your grandmother."
"Alright."
Li Wei Xin stopped saying useless things. "I'll go buy things to bring in. Dad, what do you think we need?"
Li Wei Xin, Han Lu Shi, and Mai Xing Yang spent three consecutive days bringing furniture and daily necessities into the valley.
Xiao Mai ran happily in the valley every day. Seeing Li Wei Xin and the other two arrive, she would run up to them and curiously examine the items being brought in.
And each time, she would ask who Mai Xing Yang was.
Her memory was still stuck at the time when Xuan Xuan had just been born, because it was around this period that she conceived Yu Fei. She had blocked out all memories related to Yu Fei.
Each time, Li Wei Xin would sigh silently. His hatred for Li Xiao Mai had not diminished with time or Li Xiao Mai's madness and foolishness, but he knew his father could not let go of family ties.
A few days later, the power lines were connected.
Li Wei Xin and Mai Xing Yang brought in renovation materials such as cutting machines, wooden flooring, and cement. They wanted to renovate the cave to make it suitable for elderly people to live in.
Han Lu Shi and Zeng Jing Rong also came to help.
The surroundings of the valley were enclosed by a bamboo fence taller than a person. Li Wei Xin planted climbing roses, which his mother liked the most, along the fence.
Xiao Mai followed behind him. "Ran Ran, plant vegetables. Grandma likes to grow her own vegetables to eat."
Li Wei Xin dug out a small packet of vegetable seeds from a box and threw it to her. "You plant them yourself."
Xiao Mai took the seeds and ran back. She asked Tian Jing for a hoe, found a spot, and began to cultivate the land diligently.
By the time the cave was fully renovated, Xiao Mai had not only cleared a piece of land but also planted the seeds. The vegetable plots were neatly arranged in rows and were very beautiful.
Tian Jing smiled and said to Xiao Mai, who was seeking praise in front of her, "Xiao Mai is very capable."
Xiao Mai smiled so wide her eyes became crescent moons. "Yu Lin will like it too, right?"
Tian Jing sighed inwardly. "Yes, Xiao Mai is the best mother."
"Then can we go see Yu Lin?"
Faced with Xiao Mai's hopeful gaze, Tian Jing could not refuse. She nodded. "We'll pick a time and go together."
"Okay."
Xiao Mai's smile turned into crescent moons.
…
Half a month later, Tian Jing and Li Zheng Guo took Xiao Mai to Ling County to see "Yu Lin."
Watching Xiao Mai cradle a baby boy who bore a striking resemblance to Yu Lin in his childhood and coax him, Xiao Shan Niang turned her face away to wipe her tears.
A woman must not make the wrong choice. One wrong step leads to a cascade of errors, and regret is endless.
The baby boy leaned obediently against Xiao Mai's chest. "Mom, I'm fine, don't worry about me."
"Mm-hmm."
Xiao Mai lowered her head and kissed the boy's face. "Yu Lin, be good, listen to Grandpa and Grandma. Mom will work hard, and I will definitely make you proud of me."
The baby boy nodded repeatedly.
At lunch, Xiao Mai only focused on giving the baby boy food and barely ate anything herself.
After the meal, Tian Jing coaxed her. "Yu Lin skipped class this morning. It's time for him to go back for his nap. Shall we have your Little Uncle send him back?"
"Okay."
Reluctantly, Xiao Mai took out a small, tightly rolled banknote from her pocket and handed it to the boy. "Yu Lin, this is your pocket money. I'll bring you more when I get paid."
The boy took the money and thanked her. "Thank you, Mom."
"Good boy."
Xiao Mai stroked the boy's head. "Go with your Great Uncle."
Li Zheng Guo handed the boy over to the boy's parents. The boy was still reluctant. "Great Uncle, that mom is very good, better than my own mom. Next time, if she misses me, I'll go see her again."
"Okay."
Li Zheng Guo nodded and slipped two stacks of money into the boy's arms.
The boy's parents did not want to accept it. Li Lao Xian Chang had made great contributions to Ling County. How could they accept money just for their child to coax a woman who was mentally confused and longing for her son?
"Please accept it. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me to ask for your help again next time. The child is very well-behaved, take good care of him."
After Li Zheng Guo left, the boy's parents asked him about the meeting. The boy chattered on, with only one central theme: "That mom is very good, I like her very much."
…
After seeing her "son," Xiao Mai became even more proactive, busy helping Tian Jing with chores every day.
She also followed Li Zheng Guo to build sheds for the vegetable patches. As the weather grew colder, the vegetables needed to be moved indoors.
Her emotions had been very stable. She had not had an outburst, nor had she wandered off.
Even when Tian Jing told her that her grandmother was sleeping underground, and that one of the graves was where she was buried, she quietly followed Tian Jing to burn paper for her grandmother, without crying or making a fuss.
…
The weather grew colder. Li Wei Xin and Mai Xing Yang brought in three air conditioners, two split units and one floor-standing unit. One was installed in the master bedroom, one in Xiao Mai's bedroom, and one in the living room in the middle.
While installing the air conditioners, Li Wei Xin told his mother. "Song Yin Yu inherited Zheng Xiu Yue's assets. The Zheng Group failed to find evidence of Song Yin Yu murdering his wife and lost the dispute over the inheritance. Sheng Song Group changed hands again a few days after falling into Song Yin Yu's possession. The current head is Song Shao Qing's elder brother, Song Shao Tang."
"Yu Fei had her uterus removed. Song Yin Yu was expelled from the Song family by Song Shao Qing. The two of them are now living in a courtyard house in the Third Ring Road, acting out a drama of 'unwavering love' every day."
"Yu Fei's brother was sentenced to death, and the execution was carried out three days later. He could have been sentenced to death or given a suspended death sentence, but the Zheng family used their influence."
"Who is Yu Fei?" Xiao Mai, who had quietly come over to eavesdrop, suddenly asked.
Li Wei Xin was startled. Fortunately, he was quick-witted. "Yu Fei is the daughter of a friend of mine."
"Your friend is really unlucky."
Xiao Mai looked regretful. "Daughter doesn't behave well, and son commits a crime and is to be shot. You should tell your friend, don't just focus on making money, and manage your children properly."
After speaking, she walked out, shaking her head.
Li Wei Xin breathed a sigh of relief.
However, his mother blamed him. "Do you think she can still use the special medicine after hearing these two pieces of news?"
"Mom."
Li Wei Xin disagreed. "This way is the best for her. She is not in pain, and we can cooperate with her."
"If she were to regain consciousness, it would be like returning to the past. You and Dad might not even want to see her, let alone personally take care of her."
"Sometimes, forgetting is happiness."
Tian Jing thought of her husband's silence when she mentioned using special medicine on Xiao Mai.
Forget it, let it be. If Xiao Mai could recover under these circumstances, it would be fate.