"Oh my, you shouldn’t have! Why bring so many things?" Stone’s mother warmly invited Xue Yue and Mrs. He inside.

Mrs. He smiled and said, "It’s not much. We heard Shitou’s wife gave birth, so we came to visit. Is she awake?"

Shitou’s mother nodded. "She is. Xiu’er, look who’s here."

When Yang Wenxiu saw Mrs. He and Xue Yue come in, she tried to sit up.

Mrs. He quickly said, "Don’t move, dear. Just stay lying down while we talk."

Stone’s mother pulled Mrs. He over to see the baby.

Xue Yue sat by the bed and looked at Yang Wenxiu. "Was the delivery smooth?"

Yang Wenxiu smiled. "It was alright. I started feeling it yesterday afternoon. Shitou was afraid I’d go into labor in the middle of the night, so we came to the hospital early. He was born in the early hours of this morning."

"Where’s Shitou?"

"He went home to make me some chicken soup."

Xue Yue raised her eyebrows. "That’s wonderful." She stood up. "I’ll go take a look at the baby."

Mrs. He was carefully examining the baby. "What a big, healthy boy. He’s so handsome. You know, his eyes really look like your Shitou’s."

Shitou’s mother looked at the baby and said, "Yes, his eyes are certainly like Shitou’s. And Shitou’s eyes are just like Wei Liang’s."

Wei Liang was the name of Shitou’s father. Mrs. He sighed emotionally. "If Shitou’s father knew, he would be so happy."

Shitou’s mother’s eyes reddened, but she smiled. "Yes. The Wei Family has a descendant now."

’So Shitou’s surname is Wei?’ Xue Yue had never known. ’I thought he was a He, too, since half the people in Da Liushu Village have that surname.’

Back home, she mentioned it to He Lang, who chuckled.

"Do you know what Shitou’s real name is?"

Xue Yue was curious. "What is it?"

"Wei Jiefang."

Xue Yue blinked. "That name is..."

He Lang smiled. "Pretty old-fashioned, right? I heard his father picked it. When he was little, the other village kids would taunt him, chanting, ’Jiefang, Jiefang, time to eat and dress!’ Shitou didn’t like his name either. His mom called him Shitou because stones are sturdy and it sounded like he’d be easy to raise. The name just stuck."

Xue Yue asked He Lang, "Did your father name you and your brothers? Why aren’t your names something like ’Aiguo’ or ’Aimin’?"

Xue Yue was teasing, but she was also telling the truth. It wasn’t as bad now, but back in the sixties and seventies, names like Aiguo and Aimin were incredibly common. Xue Yue’s own name had been chosen by her mother, and you could tell at a glance that her mother was an educated woman.

He Lang said, "Mom told me my grandfather named my eldest brother. My dad named my second brother and me."

"Your dad went to school, didn’t he?"

"Yeah. Dad said he used to get really good grades, but he never finished middle school. He had to stop because of the war."

Xue Yue nodded. ’It’s true,’ she thought. ’Just surviving back then was hard enough.’

In their room, Mrs. He was also talking to Mr. He. "It’s a big, chubby boy. Such a joy to see."

Then she added, "It’s a pity they can only have one. The family planning policy is so strict now. The other day, I was out buying groceries and heard the old lady from the end of our alley talking. Her daughter had a second child and was fined 5,000 yuan. She said her daughter took the baby and fled to her mother’s house to avoid the fine. When she came back half a month later, she found all their appliances had been taken."

Mr. He said, "If the state enacts a policy, there must be a reason for it. Having fewer children is good, too. It can lighten a family’s burden."

Mrs. He did not agree at all. "I still think more children are better. It’s a bit of a burden when they’re young, but when they grow up, you have more hands to help with work. Now they demand you only have one. It’s fine if it’s a boy, but what do you do if you have a girl? When you die, there’ll be no son to perform the funeral rites."

Mr. He shot her a look and lay down. "Times are changing. That kind of thinking is outdated now. Daughters can do anything a son can."

As he spoke, Mrs. He’s thoughts turned to He Yun from their hometown.

"The last time I saw her, she seemed to have lost a lot of weight. I was so preoccupied with our second son’s matters at the time that I didn’t have the mind to ask her about it."

Mr. He rolled over. "Ask what? Let them worry about their own lives. Don’t start with your old habits again—getting soft-hearted, running your mouth, and letting her rope you into something that’ll just cause trouble for our children."

Mrs. He shot him an annoyed glare. "That was ages ago. I’m much more cautious now."

"You’d better be. Alright, stop chattering and get some sleep." Mr. He closed his eyes after he finished speaking.

One day, half a month later, Zhang Qian came home from work and saw someone squatting by her front door.

She took a closer look. "Zhang Yunlei?"

The squatting young man looked up, and when he saw it was Zhang Qian, he happily stood up.

"Auntie."

Zhang Qian looked at Zhang Yunlei. She hadn’t seen him in years, and he had grown into a young man, even taller than her now. Still, she could recognize his old features.

"How did you find this place?"

Zhang Yunlei scratched the back of his head. "I went back to Grandma and Grandpa’s house and happened to see it. They had the address from something you mailed home."

"Do your parents know you came here?"

Zhang Yunlei nodded. "Yes, I told them. They didn’t object."

Zhang Qian bit her lip, looking at him.

"Come on in and we’ll talk."

Only the nanny and Tun Tun were home; Xue Xingzhou hadn’t returned from work yet.

When the nanny saw Zhang Yunlei trailing behind Zhang Qian, she said a little sheepishly, "He came by earlier saying he was your nephew, but I’d never seen him before. I was afraid he was a scammer, so I didn’t let him in."

Zhang Qian nodded. "That’s alright, you did the right thing. If we’re not home, don’t let strangers in."

The nanny smiled and went to boil some water for them.

Zhang Qian went into the room, washed her hands, and then went to check on her son.

Tun Tun was asleep. Zhang Qian gently touched his forehead. Zhang Yunlei stood awkwardly in the doorway, watching them.

"Have a seat."

Zhang Qian walked over to the sofa and sat down. "Did you come to Beijing City just to stay for a few days, or do you have other plans?"

Zhang Yunlei looked at her nervously, wringing his hands. "Auntie, I want to stay. I want to find a job in Beijing City."

"What can you do?"

Zhang Yunlei said eagerly, "I’m a hard worker. I can do any kind of job."

Zhang Qian looked at him. "That’s not exactly a skill. Look, I’m not going to lecture you. If you want to stay here, you can. It’s no trouble to feed one more person. But when it comes to work, we won’t get involved. You’ll have to find a job yourself."

"Auntie—"

Zhang Qian cut him off. "I can’t help you with that. You have to rely on yourself. Do you still want to stay?"

Zhang Yunlei was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

Zhang Qian settled him into Zheng Guofeng’s room, moving Zheng Guofeng’s things to one side.

"This is Tun Tun’s grandfather’s room. He’s not living here right now, so you can stay here for the time being."

Zhang Yunlei looked around the room and nodded. "Thank you, Auntie."

Zhang Qian glanced at him once more before leaving.

After Xue Xingzhou got home, Zhang Qian told him about Zhang Yunlei’s plans.

Back when they were in their hometown, Xue Xingzhou had known about Zhang Hui and his wife’s intentions. Although he hadn’t agreed to their request at the time, Zhang Yunlei showing up unannounced like this was likely instigated by his parents.