"I don't need such meager benefits, you can keep them," Meng Qicheng said, then turned and walked towards his second uncle's large courtyard.
Once, he had always believed that his birth mother's favoritism had caused him to feel stifled and depressed. Today, knowing he was not born to Madam Ma, he felt much better.
The hardships he had endured since childhood no longer mattered; he considered it repayment for the nurturing he had received.
It was so good that she wasn't his birth mother. From now on, her life or death would have nothing to do with him. Their family of three could live their simple lives with ease.
As for that family, how they lived was their own business, and it had nothing to do with him anymore.
When Madam Tian learned the truth, she felt sorry for Meng Qicheng. After discussing it, the couple made a decision and went to their second uncle to say they wanted to sever ties with that family.
Grandpa Meng, after learning the whole story, also sided with them and personally wrote the document for severing ties.
Grandpa Meng personally held the document, first having Meng Qicheng and his wife sign and press their fingerprints.
He then went to find the Third Master Meng to sign and press his fingerprints, but Madam Ma refused.
Grandpa Meng simply ignored her and made another trip to the garrison, having Qi Yuanshan act as a witness.
Upon receiving the severed ties document, the young couple hugged and cried, weeping that their family of three had finally escaped their sea of suffering.
After crying, they cheerfully went about their tasks.
Fu Xinci witnessed the entire process and was happy for them.
...
Many hands make light work. By evening, as the sun was about to set, a five to sixty-square-meter greenhouse had finally been built according to Fu Xinci's requirements.
The greenhouse was erected on the west side of the main house's walkway, close to the small building, facing the sun, making it convenient for the family to look after.
This greenhouse was built by Fu Xinci by referencing greenhouses she had seen before the apocalypse, with a simple design, the only difference being the substitution of oilcloth for plastic sheeting.
The helpers had all gone to dinner, and Fu Xinci walked around the outside of the greenhouse with satisfaction.
"Sister Fu, we should go eat. If we go late, the food will get cold." Qi He had been following behind Fu Xinci. Seeing that Sister Fu had finished looking, he urged her to hurry for dinner.
"Okay, Brother Qi, let's go together."
"Mm."
Today's dinner was more abundant than usual because of the helpers.
Four dishes and one soup, with steamed buns made from a mix of white flour and cornmeal, greatly whetted the appetites of the helpers from Meng Family Village.
Meng Ba Laoye, while eating heartily, whispered to Meng Qi Laoye, "It would be great if we could eat these steamed buns mixed with white and corn flour every day."
"Dream on! Forget about us, even Commander Qi wouldn't dare to say he could eat these mixed-flour steamed buns every day."
Meng Qinghuai really wanted to chime in, saying his second brother's family could eat these mixed-flour steamed buns every day. But thinking of the saying "don't flaunt your wealth," he couldn't reveal his second brother's circumstances. He took a large gulp of seafood soup and ate half a steamed bun.
"Shiyi, your appetite has grown too. You used to eat like a bird," Meng Qi Laoye said, his words carrying no hint of disparagement, merely commenting that his eleventh brother used to eat very little.
Meng Qinghuai felt no discomfort. Instead, he smiled while eating the soft, fluffy steamed buns and replied, "When we eat at second brother's house, everyone eats their fill."
He patted his stomach, "Listen, I have some oil in my belly now."
The other brothers became envious and started to feel sour.
"Shiyi, you're just flaunting your proximity to second brother's house to annoy us, aren't you?"
This small advantage was something Meng Qinghuai had pestered for relentlessly. He felt no shame but rather pride.
He proudly brought it up again, "Being able to live close to second brother is also a result of our own capabilities." Meng Qinghuai hadn't lost his senses yet, so his words were measured.
"Your capability is crying to second brother." Meng Qi Laoye was jealous; he regretted that he couldn't bring himself to cry in front of his second brother.
"Tch, it's not shameful for brothers to cry to their own elder brother, only to cry to outsiders is shameful."
Hearing the sentence Meng Qinghuai calmly dropped, everyone fell into thought.
Upon careful consideration, wasn't it true? If brothers faced difficulties and cried to their own elder brother, there was nothing wrong with that.
If nothing else, at the very least, their elder brother would offer some comfort, and perhaps even some benefits, which was also inevitable.
Seeing his brothers nodding in agreement with what he said, Meng Qinghuai suddenly regretted it.
If these guys all went to their second brother to cry, their second brother would be overwhelmed.
Grandpa Meng said nothing, slowly eating his dinner, watching his few old men vie for his favor.
Ah, a beautiful day passed just like this, and Grandpa Meng felt a little reluctant.
As night fell, Fu Xinci entered the space as usual. She first found some items her companions needed recently, and then went to the notice board panel.
She put all the items into the vending machine, and while trading with her companions, she suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
How could this be? She stopped herself in time and did not press to agree to the sale.
One second, two seconds...
One minute, two minutes...
Until impatience appeared on the face of the person on the other side, Fu Xinci did not press to agree to the sale and closed the vending machine.
On the other side of the parallel world, Xiao Ai was finally free. She let out a long sigh and, with full confidence, taunted the cold, elegant, and noble woman in front of her, "You think you can trick Xinci by holding our accessories? You're dreaming!"
Saying that, she reached out and took back the bracelet that the woman had borrowed from her by leveraging her connection with the Base Leader.
The Base Leader glanced at the extremely arrogant woman opposite him, feeling contempt. However, he still had to put on a show of politeness and symbolically reprimanded Xiao Ai, "Xiao Ai."
"Base Leader, calling me Xiao Ai is useless. Do you think anyone can be the protagonist?" Yang Xinjie had god-like confidence. "You should give up. No one can trick Xinci."
Yang Xinjie and Fu Xinci were middle school classmates. They had been deskmates for three years, intimately close.
They were the kind of friends who shared blessings and hardships together. Therefore, it was not surprising that she knew some of Fu Xinci's little secrets.
She even suspected that Fu Xinci herself might not even be aware of this secret.
Thinking of this possibility, the smile on Yang Xinjie's face grew even wider.
However, this smile of absolute confidence looked like smugness to others.
Especially to the arrogant woman opposite her, Yang Xinjie's smiling face was exceptionally irritating.
If not for remembering her elder brother's instructions when she left home at a crucial moment, she would have wanted to tear the face of the woman opposite her.
Yang Xinjie: Treating everyone else like fools, acting as if your brother is the best in the world and you are second best, you offend people within two kilometers of leaving home.