The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

What are your thoughts on marriage...?

Upon hearing this question, Zhi Qiu's smile seemed to fade slightly.

But it didn't disappear; it was as if the sun in the sky was slightly obscured by a thin layer of clouds.

She didn't immediately voice her thoughts, but remained silent for a few seconds before looking up at Shen Jingwan and asking a question that went straight to the point:

"Mom, even if we get married, the name on the marriage certificate will only be Xiaoxue's, right?"

Shen Jingwan's heart ached because of this question.

She certainly understood what Zhi Qiu was asking and what she was concerned about.

In her heart, whether it's Xiaoxue, Xiaqing, Xiaonuan, or Zhiqiu, they are all her daughters, each an independent and complete person.

However, in reality, they only have one identity, which is the name on their household registration book, their ID card, and the name that will appear on their marriage certificate in the future, belonging only to the main personality, An Suxue.

This means that no matter how deep their feelings for Ye Shu are, under the witness of law and social norms, the one who can nominally enter into a marriage relationship with Ye Shu can only be An Suxue.

Their love, their promises, their marriages—all forfeited by that piece of paper.

Shen Jingwan's eyes were filled with heartache and helplessness. She tightened her grip on her daughter's hand slightly.

"Yes."

She couldn't lie to her about this, so she had to tell her the truth:

"Because the household registration certificate only lists Xiaoxue's name..."

Zhi Qiu listened quietly, her smile unchanged. She didn't show the excitement or disappointment seen on the television, nor did she shout or yell.

She simply nodded slightly. She already knew the answer, they all already knew it, and no one could change it.

"so……"

Zhi Qiu spoke again, calmly saying:

"What we think isn't the most important thing. What's most important is what Xiaoxue thinks."

Shen Jingwan was slightly taken aback, and Zhi Qiu continued:

"Of course, I don't mean liking or being willing. Mom, you know how the four of us feel about Xiao Shu, and we know it even better ourselves. We have no disagreement on this issue. The important thing is..."

She turned to look out the window; it seemed like snowflakes were starting to fall in the yard.

"Does Xiaoxue have the courage to take the step of getting married? After all..."

She paused, not saying what she meant next, but Shen Jingwan understood what she meant and felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

After all... they all knew about Xiaoxue's situation.

That introverted, anxious child, filled with fear of the outside world, and highly sensitive to everything.

Even with Ye Shu's support, she has been trying little by little to become braver, to try to connect with the outside world, and to express herself.

Marriage is not just a promise between two people to be together; it also means greater responsibility, more complex social relationships, and potentially more unknown pressures.

Is Xiaoxue... really ready?

Does she have the courage to formally bind her life to another person in front of everyone and under the law?

Does she have the courage to face the changes that marriage might bring?

They all loved Xiaoxue and understood her vulnerability.

They are willing to do anything for Ye Shuyi, but they also care about whether Xiaoxue can bear the weight of this step.

What they didn't know was that yesterday afternoon, Xiaoxue, who had been so frightened by the wedding that she hid deep in her mind, had already started thinking about having a baby.

She grew up faster than any of them had imagined.

Just as Shen Jingwan and her daughter Zhi Qiu were discussing this matter in the inner room, the door was pushed open.

Ye Shu probably wanted to come in to get something, or maybe to rest for a while, but when she looked up, she saw the two of them sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) talking.

He turned to leave:

"Oh, Auntie, I didn't know you were here. Please, you two chat."

"No."

Shen Jingwan's expression had returned to the same gentle smile as Zhi Qiu's. She stood up, gently straightened her clothes, and said:

"We're just chatting casually, nothing important, you two have fun."

As she spoke, she smiled at Ye Shu, glanced at her daughter sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and then left the inner room, closing the door behind her.

Zhi Qiu sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), not moving, but simply smiling as she looked at Ye Shu, the smile in her eyes impossible to hide.

"Little Shu, my younger brother."

Her voice returned to its usual teasing tone, the kind that she used to provoke Ye Shu:

"You miss your sister? It's only been a short while since you parted, and you can't stand it anymore, so you had to come in to check on her? You little clingy thing."

If it were in the past, Ye Shu would have at least retorted if he heard such words, if not blushed.

But now, things are different. Ye Shu simply stood at the door, glanced at her indifferently, and then casually ripped the tissue out of her nose.

Having learned his lesson from that bloody incident that morning, he seems to have leveled up; now, Zhi Qiu's teasing can no longer hurt him.

"Seriously."

Ye Shu ignored her comment and simply walked over to her, saying:

"Our market starts today, it looks really interesting, shall we go check it out?"

"A large market?"

Zhi Qiu was somewhat surprised; the year wasn't even over yet, how could there already be a market?

"It's only the first few days of the month, and they're already going to the market?"

Ye Shu smiled, giving him a "you're a foreigner now, aren't you?" look, and explained:

"It's different here. We have markets starting from the third year of junior high. It's called a market, but it's more like a temple fair. It gets more and more lively as it goes on, and it seems to last until the fifteenth. Let's go out and have a stroll, get some fresh air. It's really boring to stay cooped up at home all day."

Zhi Qiu looked into his eyes, which were as clear as a college student's. He didn't have the panic she showed when she teased him, nor the deliberate composure when he broke down. He simply wanted to go out and have fun with her.

Therefore, Zhi Qiu toned down the teasing tone in her smile and agreed readily:

"Okay, that sounds good. Let me change my clothes."

"Yeah, wear something warm, it's cold outside, and your cold has just gotten better."

Ye Shu didn't forget to give a final instruction.

When Zhi Qiu came out after changing her clothes, she found that everything was ready in the outer room as well. It seemed that the whole family was planning to go and have some fun.

Ye Shu's grandmother, due to her mobility issues and the cold weather outside, decided not to join in the fun.

Ye Shu's aunt also stayed to keep the old lady company and to prepare lunch at home.

Xiao Tao was clearly genuinely happy. She'd always been restless, and these past few days at home had been driving her crazy. Seeing Zhi Qiu come out, she rushed over, grabbed her arm, and started telling her about all the delicious food at the market later.

Everything was ready, and the family rushed out of the yard, greeting each other as they passed neighbors along the way.

"Old Ye, where is your whole family going?"

"Ah, let's go take a look around the previous episode."

Ye Guoqiang responded with a smile.

Zhi Qiu walked beside Ye Shu, looking at the large tour group, and couldn't help but smile.

She had never experienced a family outing like this before, because by the time she arrived, it was after that incident. Since then, An Jianxing had fallen out with his family quite a bit, and since they usually lived separate lives, such a thing was basically nonexistent.

The two walked at the back, looking at the family ahead, Ye Shu smiled and said to Zhi Qiu:

"Comrade Zhi Qiu, today I'll show you what it means to experience the everyday life of ordinary people."