Three hours passed while Zhang Yuxi had her hair dyed and trimmed. As dinnertime approached, the family stood at the salon entrance, discussing what to eat. Summer vacation had just started and the kids had no homework, so they were all eager to eat out.

Just then, An Lan called, inviting them to her place for dinner. Liu Bo's parents had brought over some free-range chicken and duck eggs, along with a few chickens. Liu Bo was in the kitchen butchering them and planned to share some with Lin Feng's family later.

An Lan was playing with her two children in the residential community's park. When she saw Zhang Yuxi behind Lin Feng, her jaw dropped. "Yuxi, you... what happened? You look completely different!" she exclaimed. "Damn, you have to tell me what miraculous cosmetics you used. I want them too!"

Zhang Yuxi glanced at Lin Feng. "Well... I don't really know what happened..."

They hadn't seen each other in half a month, so An Lan didn't doubt her words. She just found it miraculous. After asking for the details, she sighed, saying only that Zhang Yuxi was lucky. Other than an envious look, she said nothing more.

"Where's Liu Bo?" Lin Feng asked.

"He's at home dealing with the chickens and ducks," An Lan replied. "The smell was too strong, so I took the kids out for a walk. I also don't want them to see that kind of scene."

"Alright," Lin Feng nodded. "You guys play down here. I'll go help out."

The community had playground equipment, and An Lan always brought her two children out for a walk and some playtime in the evenings before heading home. Guo Guo, who would be starting the senior class in kindergarten that September, had shot up in height. She got along great with First Treasure and Fourth Treasure. Meanwhile, Second Treasure and Third Treasure were playing with Cai Cai, freeing up An Lan to pull Zhang Yuxi aside for some gossip.

"Did you hear? Du Qian is completely ruined," An Lan whispered. "She's carrying five million in debt and has no house and no money. She's back to her old job selling luxury goods! On one hand, she's trying to win back Lu Boyu, but on the other, she hasn't given up flirting with male customers at the shop. Guess what? Some guy's girlfriend beat her up so badly her own mother wouldn't recognize her, and now she's desperately looking for a job! What's even more ridiculous is that she called me to borrow money. I really let her have it!"

Talking about this made An Lan practically giddy.

Zhang Yuxi's gaze never left the children. "Lin Feng found the lawyer."

An Lan's smile vanished. "Holy shit, what happened?"

"I'm only telling you this," Zhang Yuxi said softly. "Don't let the elders find out."

"Okay, okay, tell me!"

"You have to swear."

"...Alright, alright, I swear! I definitely won't blab!"

Zhang Yuxi's expression turned cold. "When Lu Boyu and Du Qian were getting their divorce, he was collecting evidence and accidentally found out about... that incident."

An Lan gasped. "It was that little bitch Du Qian, wasn't it?"

Zhang Yuxi nodded. "She got me drunk, then went to the car herself and slept there all night."

"Damn it!" An Lan exploded. "So it really was that little bitch! I wasn't wrong about her!" She immediately started gloating. "This is just what she deserves! Serves her right!" Then, she comforted Zhang Yuxi, "Now that the truth is out, it proves we were right about her all along. With Du Qian in this state, let's just drop this topic for good."

Zhang Yuxi nodded.

At first, she had never even considered that possibility. It was only after giving birth that An Lan voiced her suspicions. At that time, a seed of doubt was planted in her heart, but it remained just a suspicion until that day in Sanya when Du Qian spoke those words. Only then did she truly know the answer. For Zhang Yuxi, this revelation was like having a huge weight lifted from her chest.

Lin Feng had a key to An Lan's place; she had given him a spare. As soon as he entered the apartment, he smelled something strange. The kitchen door was open, but it was empty. He found the door to the living room balcony closed, with Liu Bo on the other side, plucking a duck at the washing station.

"Bro, you're here!"

Lin Feng rolled up his sleeves and stepped onto the balcony. "What can I do?"

"There are two ducks left. One for you, one for me. The pot of hot water is on the counter."

Lin Feng worked quickly, his movements swift and practiced as he plucked his duck nearly clean.

"Bro, you're awesome!"

After nearly a decade working in kitchens, plucking a duck was a simple task for Lin Feng. He plucked both remaining ducks clean and then started to finish the ones Liu Bo hadn't plucked perfectly. Noticing Liu Bo neatly collecting the duck feathers, Lin Feng asked, "What are you doing with those?"

"Selling them for money!"

It wasn't clear if all parents became thriftier after getting married and having children. It had nothing to do with how much money they made; perhaps it was just part of understanding life.

Lin Feng slaughtered two chickens. Both were free-range, which meant they would take longer to cook. He started stewing them first before joining Liu Bo to clean up the rest. In total, there were fifteen chickens and ducks. Liu Bo had been busy since two in the afternoon, and it was now almost six. In the hot weather, it was best to slaughter and clean the birds, then freeze them to be defrosted later.

The two men worked until after seven, by which time An Lan and the others had returned from the supermarket.

"Wait another five minutes, okay?" Liu Bo said into his phone. "The house still smells a bit. Let me air it out and spray some of your perfume."

"That perfume is expensive, so don't use too much!" came An Lan's voice from the other end.

"Sure thing!"

After hanging up, Liu Bo muttered to himself, "She didn't even have to say it. I know she's going to use too much, and then I'll have to buy her another bottle."

Taking care of children made it inconvenient to wear makeup, but that never stopped An Lan from buying it. After airing out the apartment and spraying some perfume, the smell was less pungent five minutes later.

Lin Feng was cooking in the kitchen. He asked Liu Bo, "When is Auntie An coming back?"

"In a few days," Liu Bo replied. "Ever since she left, I've been helping An Lan with the kids at home. We were just talking last night about whether or not to hire a nanny."

"If you guys are overwhelmed, you should hire someone," Lin Feng said, not looking up from his task. "If you don't look after your own wife and kids, who will?"

"I was thinking the same."

As the two men chatted, the others returned, each child clutching a new toy. An Lan leaned back on the sofa, letting her mind go blank for a moment. With the quadruplets there, she could easily let her two children play with them.

"Keep a close eye on the two little ones, okay?" Zhang Yuxi reminded her children. Then she went to the kitchen. "Need any help?"

Lin Feng smiled. "No need for help. Just go sit down!"

Zhang Yuxi saw the state of the house—toys were scattered on the floor and clothes were piled on the sofa. She began to tidy up. Feeling bad, An Lan got up to help.

"You look exhausted," Zhang Yuxi said. "Just sit down. I'll have this cleaned up in no time."

An Lan didn't protest. She truly felt dog-tired from taking care of two children.

"Have you guys thought about hiring a nanny?" Zhang Yuxi asked. "Someone to do the laundry and cooking so you can focus all your energy on the kids."

Before An Lan could answer, Liu Bo came out of the bathroom. "We're planning on it," he said. "It's expensive, but my wife and kids are more important."

An Lan winced at the cost. Times had changed; a nanny who helped with children and cooked three meals a day could cost over ten thousand a month. But after thinking about it... Damn it, my sanity is more important.

She had been pampered since childhood and had never done much housework; any nannies her family hired were mostly for her benefit. Giving birth to two children in three years had taken a toll on her health. Things were better when her mother was there to help, but as soon as she left, An Lan had to be on high alert twenty-four-seven, terrified the children would get hurt the moment she let her guard down. So, for the sake of her own well-being, An Lan agreed they should hire a nanny.

The aroma of the free-range chicken was tantalizing, and the children, practically drooling, kept running to the kitchen to peer inside. Fourth Treasure was the most persistent, repeatedly asking, "Dad, is it ready yet?" Eventually, Lin Feng stopped responding. He made a chicken broth porridge with vegetables for Cai Cai.

"It's ready, time to eat!"

By now, it was nearly eight o'clock, and the kids were howling with hunger. Everyone ate happily. The reason Guo Guo got along so well with the quadruplets was simple: they were all foodies. Guo Guo was sturdy and big-boned, taking after Liu Bo. Cai Cai, a premature baby, was comparatively weaker but was quickly catching up to other children his age.

After dinner, they all sat for a while before Lin Feng's family took several of the free-range chickens and ducks to go. Guo Guo and Cai Cai were very reluctant to see them leave, escorting them all the way to the community gate.

An Lan joked, "If you like your big brothers and sisters so much, why don't you just go live at their house?"

Guo Guo paused for a moment. "Can I? Mom, really?"

An Lan was speechless. "You don't want your mom anymore?"

Guo Guo finally understood she was joking.

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