1970s: My childhood sweetheart ran away, and I turned around and married the wildest chief.

Chen Yulian was excited for a while, then, seeing Qiao Wanqing's calm expression, she raised an eyebrow and said, "You knew all along? Did Fourth Brother tell you?"

Qiao Wanqing didn't speak, but answered her own question: "This fourth brother is really good to you, he tells you everything."

She's been back for several days now, and Qiao Wanqing has been very quiet these days. She brought back a lot of good things, and she's shared a lot of snacks with the children in the family. Usually, the two girls from the second wife get more, but Chen Yulian's children don't watch around. When Qiao Wanqing sees them, she'll share some with them too.

She gives gifts to children who behave well, but not to those who are disobedient.

Most children are observant of adults' moods. They might cause trouble once or twice, but after being punished a few times, most of them become much more obedient.

For example, among Chen Yulian's children, only the older two are a bit disobedient; the younger ones are still easy to coax.

Basically, whoever provides the benefits is the mother.

Chen Yulian must have received some benefits from her mother-in-law these past few days. She is the kind of person who will follow whoever benefits her, so her relationship with Qiao Wanqing has improved somewhat these days.

Qiao Wanqing was sunbathing in the yard, and Chen Yulian would come over to talk to her when she was bored!

However, it was mostly Chen Yulian who did the talking, while Qiao Wanqing listened. When he didn't want to listen anymore, he would go back to his room, and Chen Yulian would leave when she got bored.

Everyone was out, and even the kids who weren't in school had gone out to play. Chen Yulian had a little daughter who was asleep inside.

At this moment, only Qiao Wanqing and Chen Yulian were in the courtyard. After such a big incident, Chen Yulian was itching to talk to someone.

She leaned closer to Qiao Wanqing and said mysteriously, "Hey, you just said you know about what happened to my second brother back then, right? Let me tell you, I heard it caused quite a stir back then. Everyone in the village said my mother-in-law was really fierce back then, she even beat up the old lady. Tell me, in all these surrounding villages, who would dare to hit their mother-in-law?"

"Our mom is really amazing. Back then, she not only beat up her mother-in-law, but also managed to get the family property and divide the inheritance. Lu Mingqian has been kicked out now. Haha, when Mom comes back and finds out, she'll be overjoyed."

She leaned closer. "Sigh, I only heard about what happened back then from the villagers. There are so many versions. I heard that my second brother was secretly hidden away by Lu Mingqian. Didn't my fourth brother tell you the details? What is the truth of what happened back then?"

Qiao Wanqing didn't even look up, and smiled, "There are so many old people in the village, didn't they all tell you?"

Chen Yulian pouted, "Those people have given several versions of the story. How am I supposed to know which one is true? You know, that old lady is really strange. That's her grandson, and he's not even related to her. She has no reason to harm her own child!"

"It must have been Lu Mingqian who did it. Many people in the village say that it was Lu Mingqian who did it. After she was caught, she got scared and said that it was the old lady who did it. She's just a kid, so she'll definitely try to shirk responsibility."

"Some people say it was the old lady who did it, and it had nothing to do with Lu Mingqian. Lu Mingqian wasn't very old at the time; what could a little girl like her do?"

"Anyway, there are all sorts of opinions."

Seeing that Qiao Wanqing remained silent, Chen Yulian grew anxious. "Hey, say something! Fourth Brother definitely knows the truth. Has he told you what really happened back then?"

Qiao Wanqing shook her head. "He didn't say. What I know is about the same as what you know. It seems to be related to the old lady and Lu Mingqian. Our mother got angry and beat them all up. Then the family separated. Later, she went to the army with Dad and didn't come back for many years. Lu Mingqian and her brother grew up in their hometown."

"What else? What else?" Chen Yulian was incredibly curious, her heart brimming with gossip.

Qiao Wanqing said, "I don't know, Mingzhou didn't tell me the details."

Chen Yulian retorted angrily, "Why didn't you ask?"

Why would I ask that?

"No..." Chen Yulian said angrily, "Aren't you curious about something this big?"

Qiao Wanqing laughed and said, "I'm not curious. Anyway, it's none of my business. Besides, so many years have passed. Why would I, as a daughter-in-law, need to know so much?"

Chen Yulian: "..."

"You're so boring!"

After venting her frustrations, Chen Yulian turned and left. She thought to herself, "These rich girls in the city are so pretentious!"

snort!

She strolled over to her neighbor's house to gossip with others.

Qiao Wanqing glanced at her departing figure, then calmly lowered her head to continue picking up soybeans.

The day she returned, a fight broke out. When Lu Mingzhou was washing her feet, he said that Miao Cuiying had become much more peaceful over the years.

At that time, she felt that Miao Cuiying had not calmed down, but had compromised.

Because she felt that Miao Cuiying hadn't had much say in the family all these years.

Her real rise in status should have come after Lu Mingzhou became successful and she herself started working at the supply and marketing cooperative.

The events of these past few days have perfectly validated her idea.

Lu Mingzhou didn't go into the details of what happened back then. It was a pain in everyone's heart, and there was no need to explain it so clearly. Just tell her the reasons, why go into so many details?

Qiao Wanqing understood this, so she didn't ask any further questions.

But given how things have developed, Qiao Wanqing had already guessed it without even asking.

It was only 1976. Lu Minghui was 35 years old and Lu Mingqian was 37 years old. According to the timeline, Lu's father's ex-wife passed away before the founding of the People's Republic of China.

At that time, there was chaos and fighting everywhere. It was common for men to follow the main force and leave their wives and children in their hometowns. So, considering the age of Lu's father when his ex-wife passed away, he should have already joined the army at that time, and it is hard to say whether he was at home or not.

Miao Cuiying is not a local; she is Lu's father's wife whom he married from elsewhere. Miao Cuiying's eldest child, Lu Ming'an, is about thirty-two years old, and Lu Mingzhou is twenty-eight years old this year. They were both born before the founding of the People's Republic of China, so at that time, she should have been with Lu's father, since the frequency of childbirth was very stable, one every two years.

Later, there must have been a war. According to Lu Mingzhou's age, that was in 1948. If we go back a little further, it was when Miao Cuiying had just become pregnant with Lu Mingzhou, which was in 1947.

At this time, Lu's father would most likely be going to the battlefield. With his pregnant wife and young children, it was highly probable that Lu's father would send them back to their hometown. After all, the Lu family was in the north, which should have been under the control of our army at the time. Their hometown was definitely safer than the front line. Miao Cuiying might not have had the energy to take care of two young boys after becoming pregnant.

Qiao Wanqing guessed that there was a high probability that Miao Cuiying would return to her hometown at this time.

Then, Lu Ming'an was murdered, which should have happened after Miao Cuiying had lived in her hometown for a while.

That is, around the time of the founding of the People's Republic of China.