Seeing her sister cry so sadly, Jiang Lin hugged her and patted her back, not asking any more questions.

Although she didn’t agree with her sister’s perspective, she understood that people have different personalities and make different choices.

Jiang Min had always been obedient and understanding, thinking of others and considering her family’s feelings.

It was unlikely she could only think of herself.

Otherwise, when she returned home during her sick leave, she wouldn’t have come back to the farm because of her sister’s complaints and the family’s difficulties.

She had no other options, and when facing difficulties with no support, she had to choose what seemed like the best outcome.

Although Jiang Lin could understand Jiang Min’s situation, she couldn’t forgive Liang Laopo and Liang Tiefeng for their actions.

If someone had treated her like that, she would have fought them, even if it meant going back to take revenge later!

Xiao Meng and Xiao Jun came back from outside to drink water.

Jiang Lin noticed Xiao Meng was very thin and asked, “Sis, is Xiao Meng ill?”

Jiang Min replied, “When she was born, there wasn’t enough breast milk, so she might have been hungry. Later, her stomach and intestines were weak, and she couldn’t eat properly. Over the past two years, I’ve taken her to many doctors. They said she’ll get better as she grows stronger. But she seems to have lost more weight over the past six months.”

She had argued with Liang Laopo about medical issues, but Liang Tiefeng supported her, so Laopo kept quiet.

Xiao Meng’s health was still not good, but they could only wait and hope she’d improve with age.

Jiang Lin also noticed that Xiao Meng ate very little, like a little kitten.

Even though they were poor back then, the younger child, Xiao Bao, wasn’t as thin as Xiao Meng.

“Could it be worms?” she asked, noting that children often have parasites that make them thin.

Jiang Min answered, “She takes medicine for it every year.”

Jiang Lin sympathetically held Xiao Meng’s hand, “Xiao Meng is really lovely. Would you like to go to Aunt’s house? There are cousins there who are your age, and also cousins at Uncle’s house.”

Xiao Meng shook her head and said politely, “Thank you, Aunt. I need to stay at home to take care of the children.”

Jiang Lin was taken aback, “What are you talking about, children? Your younger brother is already so big.”

Xiao Meng, with a smile, said, “Grandma says my mom will have a little brother.”

Jiang Min’s face reddened, “Children shouldn’t talk nonsense.”

Seeing Xiao Meng’s braid was crooked, Jiang Lin used her small wooden comb to fix it.

Xiao Meng’s hair was dry and sparse, making it a bit pitiful.

After combing a few strokes, Jiang Lin noticed lice on her head, “Oh no, how come there are lice?”

Xiao Meng’s face turned bright red, and she awkwardly tried to move away.

Jiang Min picked her up to take a look, “How come there are lice again? We just treated it in the summer.” She noticed a smell coming from Xiao Meng’s hair, “Sweetie, don’t you wash your hair? Don’t you know how to wash it at home?”

If she weren’t at work, she would tidy up the house, give the kids a bath, and clean the bedding.

Xiao Meng used to wash her own hair and take baths, and having hot water at home made it quite convenient.

Xiao Meng bit her lip and remained silent, looking as if she had done something wrong.

Xiao Jun said, “Why bother washing? It’s a waste of water.”

His speech had improved significantly since the second half of this year, his little mouth babbling nonstop, especially mimicking their grandmother’s words.

Jiang Min gave him a stern look, “Come here, I’ll check if you have lice too.”

Jiang Lin suggested, “Let’s give Xiao Meng and Xiao Jun a bath. There’s water on the stove; it’s very convenient.”

Jiang Lin helped Xiao Meng take off her clothes and asked softly, “Xiao Meng, when your parents aren’t home, does Grandma hit you?”

Xiao Meng shook her head, “No, Grandma is good to me. She gives me whatever delicious food she has.”

Jiang Lin recalled how Xiao Jun would get a lot and only give Xiao Meng a little, doubting if that was really how the old lady behaved.

Xiao Jun was so young, he couldn’t really understand, and was just imitating the adults.

She tested it, and indeed, Xiao Meng was very well-behaved and understanding, thinking that good things at home should be shared more with her younger brother.

“I’ve tried all the good food. Grandma always gives me food, never hides it. Mom, Aunt, don’t worry.”

Jiang Min bought some good things and shared them with Grandma, her sister, and brother.

Sometimes she would ask Xiao Meng if she had tried certain things, and Xiao Meng would say she had, describing the taste and how delicious it was.

Jiang Min said to Jiang Lin, “The old lady loves to gossip, but she’s not harsh with the girl.”

Jiang Lin replied, “Sister, Xiao Meng says not to worry.” Could a child really use such a phrase as “don’t worry”?

Jiang Min was stunned.

Jiang Lin helped Xiao Meng take a bath and reminded her about hygiene, saying, “Study hard and aim for university in the future. Go to a big city.”

Xiao Jun was being cheeky again, “Girls don’t need to go to university. University is for men.”

Jiang Lin replied, “Aunt is a university graduate, and there are plenty of girls in universities. As for you, little rascal, if you don’t study well, you won’t be able to get into one.”

Xiao Jun responded, “Aunt, you don’t need to worry about me. Grandma said that a man only needs to get a wife and have children.”

Jiang Min’s face darkened, “When did your grandmother say that? I didn’t know about it.”

When she was home and not at work, Liang Laopo didn’t act excessively.

Although she sometimes said odd things, Jiang Min would point them out, and Liang Laopo would smile and say, “Oh, I didn’t know. I won’t say that again.”

Jiang Min had initially thought Xiao Jun was just repeating what he heard, but now it sounded especially harsh.

Xiao Jun said, “You’re not home, so Grandma says it. She told us not to tell you. We’re on her side.” He had learned to repeat such things and kept talking, “Grandma said, since I have an older sister, even if I can’t find a wife, I can always have a marriage exchange.”

Jiang Min’s expression changed, and she grabbed Xiao Jun’s ear, “From now on, stop talking nonsense. What your grandmother says is wrong, and Mom and Dad need to talk to her.”

Jiang Lin said, “Sis, it’s useless to scold him. You’re not home every day, and he’s with Grandma. Your words go in one ear and out the other.”

Jiang Min said, “I’ll talk to her properly when we get back tomorrow.”

Xiao Meng tried to persuade her, “Mom, don’t be angry with Grandma. She’s pitiful. Grandpa passed away a long time ago. She worked hard to raise Dad. Now she’s old, and she still has to feed the chickens, sweep the floor, cook, and light the stove, all while taking care of us. She’s in constant pain and can’t sleep well. She’s really pitiable.”

Jiang Lin was shocked, “Did Grandma say that?”

Xiao Meng gently bit her lip and lowered her eyelashes, which was her way of acquiescing.

Grandma talked to her every day about how hard her dad and grandma worked, and how hard it was to take care of the household and the children.

Grandma also said she was sick but didn’t want to get treated, saving money for Xiao Meng’s brother’s education and marriage, and for a new little brother, all of which required money.

Since Grandma said it this way, it must be like that.

Boys in her class had better food, clothes, stationery, and snacks compared to the girls.

Jiang Lin was stunned, having never seen someone so adept at brainwashing children.

Look at how Xiao Meng was manipulated!

“Sister, you need to talk to the old lady properly,” Jiang Lin said, convinced that the old lady was harsh on Xiao Meng and had brainwashed her.

If she wasn’t harsh, it would be surprising.

She confirmed with Xiao Meng and Xiao Jun multiple times that Grandma really didn’t hit the children; at most, she would scare them by saying she would hit them. Any pinching was done over clothes, and Xiao Meng had no visible injuries.

Jiang Min also said that Liang’s old lady wasn’t actually bad.

She had a very good reputation in the village, known for being kind-hearted and never hitting or scolding people, unlike those country shrews.

Jiang Lin wanted to meet this old lady to understand how she could be so effective, managing to make children so obedient without hitting or scolding.

By the time the bath was finished, it was almost lunchtime.

Since the men had not returned from hunting, Jiang Min made noodles with eggs and yesterday’s roe deer soup.

Jiang Lin applied her snow cream to Xiao Meng, and Xiao Jun came over wanting some too.

“Aunt, can your son Dabao and Xiaobao play with me?”

Jiang Lin replied, “That depends on how you behave. If you keep talking like that, they might want to give you a beating.” She applied the snow cream to Xiao Jun.

The six-year-old boy, with his round face and bright eyes, had a mouth that seemed like it was asking for trouble.

Xiao Jun stuck out his tongue, “I’ll tell Grandma…”

He quickly swallowed the rest of his sentence.

Jiang Lin said sternly, “If I hear you mention what your grandma says again, or anything about her, you won’t get any treats or fun things from Aunt.”

Xiao Jun replied, “Then you give them to my sister. What’s hers is mine too.”

Jiang Lin chuckled and warned, “If you keep this up, I’ll make sure you learn your lesson!”

She turned to Jiang Min and said, “Since your mother-in-law is in poor health and both you and your husband are working, you can’t take care of the children.

You’re not going to university anyway, so you shouldn’t let the children be neglected. I might as well take them with me.” Jiang Lin saw that Xiao Meng was becoming timid and Xiao Jun was getting more unruly.

If this continued, their characters might be set in undesirable ways.

Taking them now, while their grandmother isn’t around to spoil them, would make them learn better.

Xiao Jun, seeing how strict his aunt was despite her beauty, quickly tried to escape, “Aunt, I want to go home. I don’t want to go to your house.”

Jiang Lin grabbed him, “Where do you think you’re going? Sit here and eat. Do you see your uncle? He’s even taller than your dad and can be stricter. Anyone who misbehaves gets taken away and taught a lesson until they listen.”

Xiao Jun looked at her fearfully.

Children often imitate adults’ behavior and are equally scared by their warnings, so he pursed his lips and started to cry.

Jiang Lin glared at him, “Be quiet!”

Xiao Jun, frightened by her harsh tone, tried to stop crying, though tears still streamed down his face.

Xiao Meng, feeling sorry for him, whispered, “Aunt, he’s scared now.”

Jiang Lin said, “See, your sister is very kind to you.”

Xiao Jun wanted to say that he should be treated well because he needed to have his “wife” changed, but fearing Auntie would scold him, he kept silent, holding back his words and looking more and more pitiful, with tears welling up.

Jiang Min sent him to stand in the corner as punishment, saying, “If you dare to say things like that again and tell Grandma when you get home, you won’t get any food.”

With neither Grandma nor Dad around and Mom not indulging him, Xiao Jun obediently stood in the corner, feeling aggrieved.

When Jiang Min finished cooking the noodles and called them to eat, Xiao Jun was on his best behavior, keeping his mouth shut and eating happily.

Jiang Lin served Xiao Meng a large bowl of noodles with two eggs.

Xiao Meng was frightened, her face turning pale, “Auntie, I can’t finish this, it’s too much.”

Jiang Lin said, “Eat as much as you can. Whatever is left will be for your mom and dad.”

Xiao Meng looked at Jiang Min.

Jiang Min, with compassion, said, “Go ahead and eat.”

Xiao Meng bit her lip, “Grandma said not to leave any leftovers.” She tried to push the noodles away.

Jiang Lin helped her, making sure to adjust the amount.

She only stopped when there was just a bit left at the bottom of the bowl.

Jiang Lin asked, “Is this all you’re going to eat?”

“Auntie, I have a small appetite, I can’t eat much.”

Xiao Jun made a face, “Anyway, if you eat too much, you’ll just throw up. It’s a waste.”

Seeing that both Mom and Aunt were glaring at him, he quickly focused on his noodles.

Jiang Min sighed and said, “The doctor said she has a weak stomach and sometimes vomits if she doesn’t eat comfortably. Sweetie, eat slowly and chew well before swallowing.”

Xiao Meng obediently chewed slowly and ate carefully.

After she finished, Jiang Lin served her another helping.

Xiao Meng had such a small appetite that even six-year-old Xiao Jun ate much more than she did.

Despite her small appetite, Xiao Meng found the noodles delicious with the eggs and meat broth.

Eating with Mom and Aunt made her particularly happy, and she ended up eating a bit more than usual.

After the meal, Jiang Min washed the dishes while Jiang Lin told stories to the two children.

Many of these stories were from books written by Da Bao and Xiao Bao, which she had read and remembered to share.

The children listened with great interest, and Xiao Jun kept asking for more stories.

Suddenly, Xiao Meng felt nauseous and, unable to avoid it, threw up.

She was frightened.

Jiang Lin quickly reassured her, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Jiang Min grabbed a scoop to clean up, and Jiang Lin got water for Xiao Meng to rinse her mouth.

Xiao Jun said, “Don’t waste it, quickly feed it to the chickens!”

Jiang Lin felt a bit guilty, thinking, “Did she eat too much?” Maybe she shouldn’t have served that extra helping.

But even with the extra, Xiao Meng ate less than Xiao Jun—how could she have overstuffed herself?

Seeing Jiang Lin’s guilty expression, Xiao Meng quickly said, “Auntie, it’s not your fault. I just ate too greedily. It’s wrong to eat more than one’s appetite; one should eat just enough for their stomach and not be greedy.”