Cheng Yunzhi was always gentle and rarely spoke harshly to anyone, especially now that he spent his time with the children and stayed away from village gossip and trivial matters.

This was the first time he spoke so directly and seriously about feelings.

After speaking, he felt a bit uncomfortable and said to Yan Runzhi, “Alright, let’s go home. Bao’er’s mother is still waiting.”

He and Yan Runzhi supported each other as they left.

Cheng Ruhai watched their backs and realized that his father had given them a way out.

If they sincerely apologized to Yan Runzhi, there was hope for reconciliation.

Back then, Cheng Ruhai had distanced himself from his father and tried to curry favor with Cheng Fugu.

Although his father never blamed him, he always felt guilty, thinking others would despise and hate him.

Especially now, with Cheng Rushan being so powerful and having overthrown Cheng Fugu, the family had been vindicated, but he was still excluded by his father and brother.

What would others think?

They would surely call him a traitor who betrayed his father and brother to curry favor with their enemy.

How could he live with that reputation?

He quickly ran to see Cheng Yunzhi off, being very careful, “Dad, I remember everything you said. I’ve been reflecting on my mistakes. We were wrong before. We were ignorant, timid, and afraid, causing mom to suffer. Dad, rest assured, I will…”

“Eldest, you don’t need to say more. Just think about it carefully,” Cheng Yunzhi didn’t want to say too much.

He and Yan Runzhi supported each other as they walked away.

Cheng Ruhai felt his father’s coldness towards him, and it made him feel a bit wronged and annoyed.

When he got home, he said to Cheng Xianglan and Liu Honghua, “Stop causing trouble. If you keep this up, you’ll ruin the good days we have.”

Liu Honghua was very upset and angrily said, “How am I causing trouble? Your sister came, and she can’t even see our father?”

Cheng Xianglan felt like Cheng Yunzhi’s words were a slap to her face, making her feel both embarrassed and humiliated.

Now, being scolded by Cheng Ruhai made her even angrier. “What did we do wrong? Did we ask to be born by them?

Could I choose my parents?

I was dragged into this. I didn’t do anything wrong, so why am I called a landlord’s dog daughter?

I’ve been looked down upon since I was young, unable to lift my head. Even those lazy men and ugly women despise me. Why?”

She felt she was not at fault.

People should look out for themselves, right? Her mother left to avoid being dragged down and severed ties, but as a daughter, she had no choice but to suffer along.

She didn’t want to listen to her stepmother who wanted her to marry someone she didn’t like for her brother’s bride price.

She found someone she liked herself. What was wrong with that?

She did nothing wrong!

She came back to see her father, but if he was swayed by the stepmother and refused to acknowledge his daughter, there was nothing she could do.

If she didn’t take care of him in the future, he shouldn’t say she was ungrateful.

She was shaking with anger. “Brother, how did our family end up like this? Whose fault is it?”

Cheng Ruhai said, “Of course it’s that scoundrel Cheng Fugu’s fault. If he hadn’t harmed our grandfather and uncle, we wouldn’t have suffered…”

He wouldn’t have been influenced to sever ties with his father and curry favor with that scoundrel Cheng Fugu, leaving him with such a stain on his reputation.

Now it felt like a thorn in his side, making people laugh at him behind his back.

He had no confidence in front of his father and brother.

“If it weren’t for him, would our family have been brought down?” Cheng Xianglan wiped away her tears. “What did I do wrong?”

Cheng Ruhai tried to comfort her, “Sister, you did nothing wrong. Come and eat. After dinner, tomorrow we’ll go apologize to Dad. He has a soft heart. As long as we sincerely apologize, he will forgive us.”

When they were young, their grandfather often said that harmony in the family brings prosperity.

The head of the family should lead well, and everyone else should do their part.

Their father and uncle were very close, always discussing things together and never fighting.

Their uncle and aunt managed the household well, and their father always said that as long as their uncle and aunt were around, the family would be harmonious, which was more important than anything.

Their father also said that when brothers work together, they can overcome anything.

So, he believed their father also wanted him and Cheng Rushan to get along well and for the whole family to be harmonious.

As long as he showed sincerity, their father would forgive him, and once their father forgave him, their stepmother and brother would also choose to get along with him.

Now that Cheng Fugu was out of the picture, if he didn’t make things right with his father and brother, how hard would life be in the future?

He patiently persuaded Cheng Xianglan, hoping she would join him in apologizing to their parents, so they could all get along peacefully.

“I did nothing wrong, why should I apologize? Once there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather too, it’s true!” Cheng Xianglan refused to listen, thinking that as a married daughter, she was like water thrown out and didn’t matter anymore.

Cheng Ruhai sighed, “But the stepmother did nothing wrong either. She didn’t treat us badly. She took care of us.”

“She took care of you. She helped you get a wife, but she didn’t give me a dowry. I went to my husband’s house with nothing, without any support from my family!” Cheng Xianglan remained resentful.

Cheng Ruhai said, “In the end, she owes us nothing. It was our own mother who abandoned us, not her. She brought us back and at least didn’t mistreat us.”

Cheng Xianglan retorted, “That’s because we’re grown up and she can’t bully us. If we were still kids, you’d see if she bullied us or not. There’s no such thing as a good stepmother in this world!”

Cheng Ruhai was at a loss for words, “Fine, I won’t bother with you.”

His sister was married and could avoid the gossip and judgment of the village, but he couldn’t!

Liu Honghua, seeing Cheng Xianglan’s attitude, said sarcastically, “Sister-in-law, you came back to your parents’ home empty-handed? Who comes back empty-handed? People who know you came to see your father understand, but those who don’t might think you came back to beg.”

The word “beg” struck a nerve with Cheng Xianglan.

“If my life was good and I had something to bring, I wouldn’t have come back empty-handed! Isn’t the reason I didn’t come back before because I had nothing to bring? With outsiders, I have to pretend everything’s fine. There are some things I’d never say, to avoid embarrassment. But what do I have to hide from my own brother and sister-in-law? My mother-in-law told me to come back and see if I could borrow some grain for the New Year. How could I not come? If I don’t come, will there be any good for me in the future?”

Liu Honghua said, “You really listen to your mother-in-law.”

Cheng Xianglan replied, “My father-in-law and mother-in-law run the household. If I don’t listen to them, I won’t have food to eat and will get beaten. Who will look after me if I don’t listen? Will you?”

Liu Honghua said, “You picked this family yourself.”

Cheng Xianglan, feeling both angry and wronged by Liu Honghua’s jab, began to cry while holding a sweet potato.

Liu Honghua continued, “If you’re having a hard time, tell Dad. But instead of addressing the real issues, you put on airs and meddle in other people’s business. Didn’t I tell you that Jiang Lin is the center of her household?”

She gave a thumbs up, “Everyone in her family revolves around her and listens to her. If you don’t try to get on her good side and instead act high and mighty, do you think she’ll pay any attention to you? Now, I don’t dare say anything bad about her. No one in our village dares to say a word against her!”

The brick factory and Cheng Rushan’s influence made it clear that no one dared to mess with Jiang Lin, unless they wanted trouble.

When Cheng Rushan killed the dog, Liu Honghua was so scared that she trembled at home for several days, afraid that Cheng Rushan would come after her for telling Ma Kaihua that Jiang Lin was afraid of dogs.

Fortunately, Cheng Rushan didn’t come, probably because it wasn’t a serious matter.

Liu Honghua felt like she had escaped a disaster.

When Cheng Xinda was sentenced, Cheng Fugu was arrested and given life imprisonment, and Cheng Fuwan was demoted from his position as team leader, Liu Honghua had a revelation—she would never dare to oppose Jiang Lin again in her life!

If Cheng Ruhai understood these things through careful consideration, Liu Honghua was purely frightened by Cheng Rushan.

She still wanted to live many more years.

Seeing Liu Honghua blame her, Cheng Xianglan couldn’t take it anymore. “You didn’t make things clear to me.”

The two sisters-in-law began to blame each other.

On the way home, Yan Runzhi said to Cheng Yunzhi, “If you’re upset, you don’t have to be harsh with the children. They’re all our own sons and daughters. Fingers aren’t all the same length, and children’s abilities and temperaments vary naturally. There’s nothing to be angry about.”

Cheng Yunzhi held her hand, “I’m not angry.”

Yan Runzhi continued, “Don’t worry about Bao’er’s mother. She’s not the petty type.”

Cheng Yunzhi said, “It’s not that I’m afraid Bao’er’s mom will be angry, it’s just that there are some things that need to be said at least once in this lifetime.”

If he didn’t speak up, the others would think he never minded and that they were always right.

Yan Runzhi knew he was sensitive and thoughtful, so she didn’t say much.

She held his arm as they headed home for dinner.

Jiang Xinglei carried a lantern.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao rushed into the house, laughing and bragging, “Mom, we saved a meal for our family, we’re full!”

Jiang Lin laughed, quickly putting down her book and lifting the pot lid to prepare the food. “They weren’t prepared over there, you probably didn’t eat enough. Come on, let’s eat.”

Yan Runzhi helped Cheng Yunzhi sit down, and she and Jiang Lin set the table together.

Even though Da Bao and Xiao Bao said they were full, they couldn’t resist the sight of their favorite dishes at home—stew, little rabbits, little dogs, and dinosaurs.

They sat down to eat again, saying how much better their own food tasted.

Jiang Lin acted as if nothing had happened, not asking any questions to avoid making Cheng Yunzhi uncomfortable.

She knew that if anything important happened, Yan Runzhi would tell her.

After dinner, Cheng Yunzhi took Da Bao and Xiao Bao for a walk in the yard, telling them stories.

Wensheng supervised Jiang Xinglei’s studies, and Jiang Lin and Yan Runzhi cleaned up the dishes.

Jiang Lin handed Yan Runzhi ten yuan.

Yan Runzhi understood her intention, worrying that Cheng Yunzhi might want to help his daughter but feel bad about not having money.

She said, “Bao’er’s mom, you don’t need to give me money. I have enough. And don’t give any to your dad, he doesn’t have any opportunity to spend it. Two yuan is enough for him to keep.”

The commune gave them money every month, and Jiang Lin always handed it to the elderly couple.

Cheng Yunzhi didn’t manage it, and Yan Runzhi didn’t want it, so Jiang Lin kept it. Yan Runzhi also did embroidery work, and Jiang Lin paid her for it.

Yan Runzhi had money but nowhere to spend it, so she saved it for the children.

Jiang Lin stuffed the money into her pocket. “When you have time, go to the commune and buy something you like.”

Yan Runzhi smiled, “In this heavy snow, the roads are so slippery. If I go and fall, I’m not going.”