I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

The Lin family has never lacked people who thrive on chaos.

With Lin Jie's guidance and care, Zhang Man's emotions gradually stabilized.

My mother is gone, and I've lost my child, but I still have to look forward. After all, I'm still young. I'll take good care of my health and have one, two, three, or four more children.

Lin Jie contracted the waste disposal to Zhao Weiguo and received a kickback of 5,000 yuan. He gave 2,000 yuan to his subordinates and then gave the remaining 3,000 yuan to Zhang Man.

Holding the money, Zhang Man felt more confident, but her hatred for Han Dan had not diminished at all.

Time is the best medicine to heal wounds. Zhang Man was able to get out of bed again, and her two-week bereavement leave was over. It was time for her to go back to work.

Just when everything was about to get on track, Li Chunlian arrived with Li Hongxia, Hao Hao, and his little yellow dog.

"Oh dear, my good son! He got a new house, but instead of telling his old mother, he brought a woman home first."

Li Hongxia looked around. What a big house! It had two floors. If Han Dan didn't get a divorce, this house would belong to her son.

Now that the eldest brother has brought a woman home, Hao Hao has to move in, regardless of whether they want to have more children.

In name only, Hao Hao is Lin Jie's son.

Lin Jie awkwardly introduced, "Mom, sister-in-law, her name is Zhang Man. Her mother just passed away, and I was afraid that seeing this would remind her of her past, so I took it first."

"Zhang Man, that's fine. I'm not a petty person, but you're both pregnant and you kept it from your old mother-in-law. Isn't that a bit too disrespectful?"

Li Chunlian plopped down on the living room sofa, swayed a few times, and found it much more comfortable than the wooden sofa at home.

"Auntie, Lin Jie and I have been discussing it, and we'll come to see you in a while," Zhang Man said in a low voice.

"What's the point of seeing each other? We've already lost the child, so I don't care anymore. Zhang Man, Lin Jie, let me make this clear: Zhang Man's health has been damaged. If she can't get pregnant, I won't agree to your marriage."

Li Chunlian glanced at Zhang Man.

"Mom, what era are we living in? Why do you still have to arrange marriages? Don't interfere in my relationship with Zhang Man." Lin Jie firmly defended Zhang Man.

"Lin Jie, use your brain! You're not from a poor, run-down family like Zhang Man's, where she can't even get married. Why would she like you? Now that her mother is dead, she has no more worries. Whether she'll be devoted to you is another matter. Since you're not married, I'll have to take care of this household. Hao Hao is your son, and I don't trust anyone else to take care of him, so Hao Hao and I have moved in."

"Mom... what will happen to Dad and my brother if you move in?"

"I've made up my mind. They're all moving in. Your house is big, but it's empty and lifeless. It'll be lively with the whole family here."

Li Chunlian had to move here to protect her son's money and prevent him from being swindled again.

Little did they know, Lin Jie's money had already ended up in Zhang Man's pocket.

"Lin Jie, Auntie is right. We're not married yet, so it's not good for us to live together. I'd better go back to the shantytown."

Zhang Man said calmly, "Li Chunlian is not Han Dan. Once things fall apart, we can't get along anymore."

"Manman..."

Zhang Man ignored Lin Jie and turned to go inside to pack her things.

Lin Jie was caught in a dilemma. On one side was his sweetheart, and on the other was his mother. Everyone had a point, and he was the one who couldn't win either way.

Zhang Man packed her things quickly and left. Lin Jie, disregarding his own mother, chased after her to see her off.

"Lin Jie, I know you're good to me. I understand that your mother resents me for losing my child. Let me go back; I need to calm down too."

"Manman, I'll take you there. I'll come to your place for meals from now on."

"Lin Jie, let's take a break for a while. I'm really annoyed and don't want to get involved in your family affairs."

Zhang Man left indifferently, while Lin Jie stood forlornly at the courtyard gate.

Li Chunlian and Li Hongxia excitedly separated into their own bedrooms.

"Haohao, come on in. You'll stay in this room from now on. It faces south and has good lighting," Li Hongxia called out loudly.

"What about my puppy?"

"Would you like to live with me?"

"Okay, Auntie is the best."

Li Hongxia looked at Hao Hao with affection: "Silly child, we're family. If your aunt doesn't love you, who will she love?"

Lin Jie returned to the house, and Li Chunlian pulled him to sit down on the sofa.

"Son, it's not that your mother is heartless, but Zhang Man was stabbed by Han Dan and her health was damaged. It's uncertain whether she can have children. You're not getting any younger. If you marry someone who can't have children, our family can't afford the trouble," Li Chunlian earnestly advised.

"Mom, please don't meddle in my affairs. Isn't the house chaotic enough already?"

"Chaos? What's so chaotic about it? You and Zhang Man didn't get a marriage certificate, so you're not husband and wife. With your current status, what kind of woman can't you find? Lin Jie, I have to warn you, keep your money close to your chest, or you'll get swindled out of it again."

"Mom, I've given you all my salary, where would I get the money?" Lin Jie retorted impatiently.

"Do you think your mother is Han Dan, who doesn't know anything? With your position, you probably earn more on the side than in salary, right? Son, your mother doesn't want your money, she's just afraid you'll be deceived by women."

"Extra income? Where did you get extra income? Do you want me to make a mistake? I only have a twenty-odd yuan bonus, what other money do I have?"

"Okay, okay, if you don't have any, then you don't have any. From now on, come home for meals, and Mom will take care of you."

Zhang Man, carrying her travel bag, returned to her familiar home.

In the past, whenever the bicycle bell rang, Mom would lean out the window and call out, "Manman's back?"

In other people's eyes, her mother is a burden, but in Zhang Man's heart, her mother is her home.

With Mom gone, the clean and bright house is now devoid of warmth.

Zhang Man tossed her travel bag onto the kang (a heated brick bed), lay down in the spot where her mother sat every day, and savored the familiar scent.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Man fell asleep. In her dream, she saw that her mother could walk again and looked younger.

"Manman, it's all my fault. I've dragged you down."

"Mom, you haven't been a burden to me. It's because of you that I have a home." Zhang Man hugged her mother with tears streaming down her face.

"My dear daughter, live your life well and don't worry about your mother. Look at you, how beautiful you are. Find a good man and settle down. Be good, okay?"

The mother stroked Zhang Man's head, giving her instructions one by one.

"Mom, I won't look for someone else. I'll stay with you."

"Mom is leaving now. Take good care of your little brother. My life has been so hard, so difficult. The only thing that makes me happy is having such a good daughter like you. Manman, live a good life."

Zhang Man clung tightly to her mother, but her mother drifted further and further away. Zhang Man cried out in terror, "Mom, don't leave me, Mom..."

Startled awake, Zhang Man burst into tears. It was her mother coming to say goodbye; she would never have a mother again.

It was dark outside the window. Zhang Manla turned on the light, and her mother's portrait smiled kindly.

Zhang Man got off the kang (a heated brick bed) and wanted to go to the kitchen to find something to eat when the door to the courtyard rang.

"Sister Man, are you home? This is Yao Xing. Have you eaten yet?"

Zhang Man felt a lump in her throat. She hadn't expected that someone would still care about her in the cold, indifferent shantytown.