With the cold weather and no fresh vegetables, the only options were pumpkins, potatoes, or cabbage.

In their home, they had plenty of cabbage, meat, lard, and cured meat stored up.

Yan Runzhi loved experimenting with food, so they always had a variety of delicious dishes, making winter quite comfortable.

Influenced by Yan Runzhi, Jiang Lin also enjoyed cooking.

Plus, with Wen Sheng, Da Bao, and Xiao Bao all helping out, it became a fun activity.

The dough had been rising for a while, but in the cold, it took longer to rise.

Finally, it was ready.

Wensheng, with his strong hands, helped knead the dough, making the steamed buns quickly and well.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao made little shapes like rabbits, puppies, and calves, while Jiang Lin shaped a big dinosaur.

Once everything was ready, they put it in the pot to cook sweet potatoes and steam the buns, adding more fire to help the buns rise further.

While the buns were rising, Jiang Lin played word games with Da Bao and Xiao Bao, which she had made with Cheng Yunzhi.

They had fun finishing a few games and reciting a poem together.

When the buns were ready, Da Bao and Xiao Bao took turns tending the fire.

As they played, the two brothers started to develop different interests.

While they both told stories about Dong Sheng and Lin Lin, Da Bao leaned towards rational, serious, and sci-fi themes, while Xiao Bao was more imaginative and whimsical.

One moment, they were telling a nice road story, and then Xiao Bao couldn’t help but introduce a big dinosaur.

Da Bao had to pull it back, saying it was just a model.

Xiao Bao then created a story about an old witch trying to capture Lin Lin to marry her son, the little witch.

Da Bao would then change it to say the little witch was actually a scientist…

Jiang Lin was left confused, wondering why the old witch’s son was a little witch!

Jiang Lin looked over at Wen Sheng, who was putting his sword into the fire.

She quickly urged him to take it out, saying, “Wen Sheng, what are you doing?”

Wensheng replied, “Mom, I want to forge my sword. A good sword is made through sharpening and many processes!”

Jiang Lin thought, …is raising kids this magical? I have no experience; Dong Sheng, come back quickly!

She gently said, “Wen Sheng, this sword has already been forged many times and doesn’t need more heating. Besides, a sword is a gentleman’s weapon; it’s not for killing, but symbolizes status and ceremony. On the battlefield, people fight with knives, not swords.”

Wen Sheng said, “Then I’ll ask Dad…”

“No, no, no, Wen Sheng, that’s not it! Swords are great! Mom likes that you carry a sword; it looks handsome and dignified. People with knives are scarier, and Mom is afraid.” Jiang Lin was trying to comfort him, and it worked because he couldn’t stand the thought of scaring her.

He nodded, “Okay, no heating or sharpening. This is good.” He set the sword aside and continued tending the fire.

Jiang Lin sighed in relief and heated the pot, frying scallions and meat slices, then stir-fried some cabbage.

Once it softened, she added water to boil noodles and frozen tofu, and then brought over some frozen egg dumplings that Yan Runzhi had made to cook for Da Bao and Xiao Bao.

While she was busy, Cheng Yunzhi, Yan Runzhi, and Cheng Xianglan came back, followed by Liu Honghua.

Since Cheng Fuguo was arrested, Liu Honghua and Cheng Ruhai began to visit Cheng Yunzhi more frequently.

They didn’t go to each other’s homes but would meet at the village office to greet each other in the mornings and afternoons, fostering their relationship.

They also encouraged the three children to go and greet Cheng Yunzhi.

Liu Honghua wanted Cheng Ruhai to bring Cheng Yunzhi to live with them because the old man earned more grain than the village leader, which was very tempting.

She also hoped they could move into the small brick house where Jiang Lin used to live.

The courtyard was rented out by the village office, and the small courtyard where Jiang Lin’s family lived could be for them.

They were currently living in a leaky thatched house, and saving money to buy tiles was proving difficult, making life very uncomfortable.

Of course, she didn’t dare to demand anything like before and could only build rapport, waiting for the right moment to discuss it.

As soon as they entered the house, before anyone could sit down, Cheng Xianglan saw the two boys and exclaimed, “Oh my, why are these little kids doing work? In my house, our son never does housework! Cooking is women’s work; how can we let the boys do it? Come, I’ll help you with the fire!”

Yan Runzhi replied, “No need, just sit down.”

She told Da Bao and Xiao Bao to go play while she took care of the fire.

Da Bao said, “Grandma, you’re busy, so we can handle the fire.”

Cheng Yunzhi encouraged his daughter to sit down, and Liu Honghua followed suit, sitting next to her.

Cheng Yunzhi felt very uncomfortable and quickly pulled his hand away.

He was a traditional man who believed that once his daughter reached six or seven years old, he shouldn’t hug or hold her anymore, let alone go into her room or act so affectionately.

Honestly, with only his daughter and older daughter-in-law sitting at the table, he felt uneasy and wanted to escape.

Cheng Xianglan kept holding his arm and said, “Dad, I’ve wanted to see you for a long time, but I’ve been so busy! After I got married, I’ve been working hard, and my heart aches for you every day!”

Seeing her cry so emotionally made Cheng Yunzhi’s eyes sting a little.

Despite feeling awkward, he tried to comfort her, saying, “Okay, okay, don’t cry. You’re back safe, and it’s all thanks to Dongsheng.”

Taking this chance, Cheng Xianglan began to praise her brother, “My brother is really amazing! He’s handsome and good at his job. If he were looking for a partner, he’d have options from all around!”

“Watch where you’re walking and don’t touch when you talk!” Jiang Lin hadn’t been paying attention to Cheng Xianglan, but Yan Runzhi didn’t like that. “Dongsheng’s wife and son are right here!”

Cheng Xianglan quickly smiled and said, “Mom, I’m just bragging about my brother! Don’t take it the wrong way.”

Dabao asked, “Grandma, who is she?”

Cheng Xianglan hurriedly replied, “I’m your aunt!”

Dabao responded, “Which aunt? I didn’t know I had one!”

Xiaobao said, “I’ve never seen her either.”

Cheng Xianglan thought Yan Runzhi had put the child up to saying that, and she started to wipe her tears again. “Dad, all these years, being separated has been so hard for us. If there was any way, I would have brought you home to take care of you right away.”

Although Cheng Yunzhi felt sad about seeing his daughter after so many years, he was still a typical traditional man.

He was reserved and didn’t know how to express his feelings, especially after being apart for so long, which made things feel awkward.

He just felt heartache but didn’t know what to say, and he couldn’t cry with her like Cheng Xianglan hoped.

In his memory, his daughter was still a little girl, and he found it hard to connect with the middle-aged woman in front of him.

Plus, Cheng Xianglan looked so much like her mother, which made him feel even more uneasy.

It reminded him of how his ex-wife used to talk to him, wiping her tears and saying, “If I died right away, I’d go with you without hesitation. But it’s hard to live on. I’ve endured so many years of pain and suffering. I can handle it, but can the kids? So even if it breaks my heart, I have to think about the children. We should… separate.”

Cheng Yunzhi wanted to hold on, but he realized that if he did, it would only hurt her more.

So, he signed the separation papers, allowing her to leave with the children while he took on the burden alone.

Little did he know, she left without taking the kids with her.

The two children later followed Yan Runzhi, but their personalities and looks took after their mother.

Cheng Yunzhi didn’t know what to say and just sat there in silence while Cheng Xianglan chatted away.

Noticing that Jiang Lin was completely uninterested in her—saying nothing, not even asking if she was hungry or thirsty—Cheng Xianglan grew increasingly unhappy, feeling that Yan Runzhi must have influenced her.

She turned to Cheng Yunzhi and said, “Dad, I came from so far and can’t go back tonight, so I’ll stay here for a couple of days.”

Just as Cheng Yunzhi was about to respond, Liu Honghua laughed and said, “Sister, you can’t do that. Dad doesn’t have the final say anymore. Now it’s all about your brother and sister-in-law making the decisions.”

Cheng Xianglan was shocked. “With our parents here, how can the younger generation take charge? Isn’t that a joke? It would be shameful! The Cheng family doesn’t have such rules.”

She thought that if Jiang Lin had been polite to her, she would have shown some respect in return.

But since Jiang Lin was ignoring her, she was upset and felt justified in being rude back.

Cheng Yunzhi sighed, “I can’t do much anymore with my legs, I’m practically half useless…”

“Dad, don’t say that! You’re in good health and can live to be a hundred! Our family has been treated fairly now. The brigade is using our yard and paying you and Mom money and food each month, plus cotton and firewood every year. You’re earning more than the young people! And the brick factory? It’s all thanks to your reputation!” Liu Honghua added with a smile.

Cheng Xianglan quickly responded, “That’s true! I was worried my sister-in-law might be upset. But since it’s Dad’s place, it’s only right for his daughter to stay and take care of him for a few days. After all these years…”

Jiang Lin completely ignored her.

Out of respect for Cheng Yunzhi, she wouldn’t confront Cheng Xianglan in front of him.

Yan Runzhi laughed, “You’re so thoughtful! We can’t stop you.”

She turned to Cheng Yunzhi and said, “Old man, get ready. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go stay at our daughter’s house. I don’t have a daughter, so I’ve been jealous of other people’s daughters. But now that Xianglan is back, I finally have one!”

She then said to Jiang Lin, “Bao’er’s mom, send a telegram to your in-laws and invite them to come visit us in the winter. They can stay with our daughter too!”

Cheng Yunzhi felt embarrassed trying to handle the two women but was relieved when his wife came to his aid.

He quickly agreed, “Alright, I’ll do as you say,” and stood up.

Cheng Xianglan was anxious. “Dad, why are you so easy to persuade? Mom, if you want to stay at your daughter’s house, no one will stop you. Just wait until I go back and talk to the family. We’ll make proper arrangements to bring you both over.”

She started to cry again. “You don’t know how hard it’s been for me all these years! I couldn’t even eat enough, and while pregnant, I still had to work in the fields. Just ten days after giving birth, I had to get back to work, and I’ve been sick because of it. In the summer, I couldn’t even drink cold water or let the wind touch me. I had to cover up completely. Dad, Mom, if I had any other way, would I come to bring you here?”

She sniffled, “Of course, you have the right to complain about me. After all, since I’m not around, you don’t know how many hardships I’ve faced.”

Yan Runzhi, however, didn’t take her words seriously.

Did she suffer more than her parents?

She replied, “If you’re coming to take your parents to enjoy life, I won’t stop you. But if you think your dad has been vindicated and you want something out of it, then let me be clear: in this family, it’s Bao’er’s mother who has the final say!”

She looked proudly at Jiang Lin and raised her voice, “Our Bao’er’s mother came from the provincial capital as an educated youth, she’s educated and has status, unlike those who lack knowledge.”

Cheng Xianglan’s eyes widened. “Dad, are you saying that neither you nor my brothers can be in charge, and it’s up to a woman to make the decisions?”

She had come to show her filial piety, not just to seek benefits from the family’s situation.

Hearing that Jiang Lin was in charge was too much for her.

She felt that even though her husband treated her well, in every situation, it was the men and her mother-in-law who had the final say, leaving her with no voice.

This was her family too, and now that they were getting their property back, why couldn’t she get her share?

So she stopped pretending that she wasn’t there to seek benefits.