When Qin Na first got divorced, her parents had disapproved. They’d even said things like, "So he hit you a few times? Just tough it out and it’ll be over before you know it." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Her third sister-in-law had called her a barren hen, saying that after this divorce, she’d never find another man.

Qin Na was actually heartbroken. She felt that while others might say such things, why didn’t her own family care about her in the slightest?

Now, Sun Jianhua wasn’t well-off and even had a child of his own. Her parents would definitely be unhappy with such a situation, and who knew what her third brother and sister-in-law would say this time.

But it didn’t matter.

Qin Na couldn’t care less what they said. She was simply informing them that she was getting remarried, and that was that.

Now, she only trusted her second brother and sister-in-law, because they genuinely had her best interests at heart. She didn’t trust anyone else one bit.

In the blink of an eye, it was the twenty-third day of the lunar month—the Little New Year. It was tradition to eat Kitchen God candy, also known as Guandong candy, on this day. In those days, sweets were a rare treat for children, so they were always especially excited for the Little New Year when they could eat the candy.

It was sweet with sesame seeds on top. The first bite was crisp and crunchy, followed by a sticky sweetness.

Qin Jiao, however, wasn’t a big fan. She found it a little too sticky for her teeth. Su Yun had bought quite a bit of it, so she asked Qin Jiao to take some over to Mr. Du next door.

"What if it pulls out Grandpa Du’s dentures?" Qin Jiao asked.

Su Yun said, "It’s up to him whether he eats it or not, but we still have to give it to him. Oh, right, Xiao Jiao, when you go over, ask Mr. Du how his New Year’s preparations are coming along. We’re just going back to our hometown this year, and I don’t plan on staying too long with you kids. If your dad wants to stay longer, he can stay there by himself. We’ll visit your maternal grandmother’s house on the second day of the New Year for a day, then head back. So I need to buy some New Year’s supplies too. If Mr. Du isn’t prepared, ask him what he needs, and we’ll pick it up for him."

"Okay!"

Qin Jiao took the bag of Kitchen God candy next door. Since Shen Yi hadn’t been home recently, Qin Jiao had stopped being so reserved. She brought Mr. Du his meals every day and even took the initiative to help him with chores like laundry and mopping.

As the New Year approached, every household would clean their windows and mirrors until they sparkled. After giving the Kitchen God candy to Mr. Du and relaying Su Yun’s message, Qin Jiao looked around and noticed the grimy windows.

"Grandpa Du, let me help you clean the windows," she said.

"There’s no need. They’re fine as they are."

"Oh, come on, it’s almost the New Year! We’ll clean them up, buy a few ’Fu’ characters to put up, and it’ll feel so much more festive for the holiday."

Qin Jiao was already a beautiful girl, and now, with a bright smile on her face and her eyes clear and sparkling, Mr. Du found himself growing fonder of her by the second—even fonder than he was of his own grandson.

"Alright then," he said. "How about you just do the ones by the front door? The rags and everything are in the bathroom."

"I’ll do all the ones on the first floor," she offered. "The second-floor windows are a little high, so I’ll ask my dad to come clean them for you later." It was the same at Qin Jiao’s house; her dad, Qin Zhonghui, was the one who cleaned the second-floor windows.

The other day, when Qin Zhonghui had seen his wife and daughter cleaning the second-floor windows, he was so startled he’d nearly dropped what he was holding. He had rushed over and told his wife and daughter to get down and rest, insisting he would do it himself.

This was why Qin Jiao had always known that while her dad was soft-hearted, a classic people-pleaser who couldn’t quite cut ties with his family back home, he was still a truly devoted husband and father.

Mr. Du couldn’t argue with her, so he had no choice but to let Qin Jiao clean the windows.

The sun was quite nice today. Even though it was winter, its rays felt pleasantly warm. Qin Jiao took off her padded jacket, leaving her in just a beige sweater. She had put on a little weight since her rebirth, but she wasn’t fat. The young woman was filling out in all the right places; her waist remained slender and her legs long, without a hint of unwanted fat.