She saw that Lin Yue wasn’t backing down today and angrily said, “Alright, Lin Yue, now I know what kind of person you are! You value your third sister more than me!”

She turned around and ran, holding her son.

Lin Yue shouted, “Keys, give me the keys!”

But Sun Xiaohong ignored him, fuming as she ran away with her son.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of Lin Shu.

In the past, even when Lin Shu had been assertive, she had managed to fend her off.

Previously, she could use her status as the younger sister-in-law to be stubborn with Lin Shu.

But now, with Lu Shaotang gone and Lin Shu is so devastated, she didn’t want to make things worse for herself.

Besides, with Lin Shu looking like she was about to lose control and bringing along a formidable and fierce Sister-in-law Lu Da, Sun Xiaohong felt she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Lin Yue had no choice but to sneak back home.

Lin family lived in the southern part of the village, and their commotion was at the back of the village, so the Lin family hadn’t heard about it yet.

If Lin Mother found out, she would likely blame her daughter for causing trouble and not getting along with others.

She might even have to apologize to those women, saying that the children’s misfortune was affecting her mood and asking them to be more understanding.

At the doorstep, Sister-in-law Lu Da left the empty basket there, planning to come back in the evening to pick it up.

Lin Shu said, “Sister-in-law, come in and have some water.”

Sister-in-law Lu Da replied, “We’re carrying a basket of peaches, and we’re short of water? Just go ahead, and I’ll come back to get you when the sun is setting.”

With that, she walked away with the basket of peaches.

These past few days, with no work, Lin Mother had Lin Father helping her with sewing and quilting the washed cotton clothes and blankets.

When they saw Lin Shu and the children coming back through the window, they hurried outside to greet them.

Seeing the two beautiful children, Lin Father and Lin Mother’s eyes brightened up, and they immediately invited them in for some sweet water.

Although Lin Shu hadn’t brought her children, she knew that her parents cherished their grandchildren.

If she returned to her parents’ home without the children, she would be looked down upon.

Despite Lin Mother’s preference for sons over daughters, she was kind to her grandchildren, especially to Tiantian, who was so pretty and well-behaved.

Lin Mother only showed her preference for sons in relation to her own children not to grandchildren.

Lin Father had always been fond of the children and treated all his children well.

Lin Mother glanced at Lin Shu but didn’t say anything warm. Instead, she focused on comforting the children.

She was somewhat nicer to the first daughter, being the first child.

She was also relatively better towards the second daughter, because the second daughter was strong-willed and not easily victimized.

Lin Mother tried to avoid further conflict with her by keeping her mouth shut.

She was the harshest with Lin Shu, who had a small temper and was sensitive.

She was exceptionally beautiful, which gave Lin’s mother a very subtle feeling.

This subtle feeling was something Lin’s mother couldn’t quite explain; she simply attributed it to her dislike of girls or maybe because she didn’t like what her mother-in-law liked.

The original host also thought her mother favored boys over girls and didn’t think much of it; her mind couldn’t grasp it any further.

Lin’s father called out to his daughter, checked her feet, and offered to wash them for her. “The road is dirty and muddy. Why didn’t you come on a better day?”

Lin Shu replied, “My mother-in-law said the peaches are ripe and asked me to bring a basket from my family home.”

Lin’s father asked, “How are the in-laws?”

Ah, with the son-in-law gone, the in-laws must be very distressed.

Even this old father-in-law has cried secretly several times.

Lin Shu said, “They’re doing well. My father-in-law has become a barefoot doctor.”

“What?” Lin’s father exclaimed in surprise, raising his voice. “Oh, I see. He always knew some medical skills. Actually, I studied medicine too back in the day. If it weren’t for your grandfather’s illness and the lack of money at home i would have learned it by now and would be a county hospital doctor.”

Lin Shu restrained herself from rolling her eyes at her original father.

This father is fine in many ways, except… he likes to brag! He can’t stand not being the best!

If you mention someone is good at something, he’ll inevitably boast about how he could do it too.

You never know if he’s insecure or overly confident.

Lin’s father is actually smart and quick to learn, but he lacks persistence and easily gives up.

He dabbles in everything but masters nothing, just using it for bragging.

Upon entering the house, Lin Shu turned to see her younger brother’s and sister-in-law’s room was locked!

Hmph, these two!

“Where are my younger brother and sister-in-law?”

Lin’s father looked outside while Lin’s mother quickly said, “Your sister-in-law might be pregnant again. They went to see the barefoot doctor.”

Lin Shu raised an eyebrow and glanced at the lock. “So, they knew I was coming back today and deliberately locked the door?”

Lin’s father awkwardly said, “Of course not. They just worried about wild cats causing trouble.”

Lin’s mother gave Lin Shu a side glance. “You’re not quite yourself today. Why are you speaking so harshly?”

In the past, even if the younger sister-in-law locked her door or the courtyard gate in front of the original host, she would only sulk silently without daring to question why.

Since her daughter entered the house, Lin’s mother had sensed something was off.

Tiantian and Panpan, seeing their grandmother being stern with their mother, immediately became unhappy.

Panpan asked, “Grandma, when will my aunts come back?”

Lin’s mother immediately put on a smile. “They haven’t been back for a long time. They’ll probably come back for the holidays. But they have sent me money.”

She glanced outside to make sure no one was around, then pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket, which she unwrapped layer by layer.

Inside was a roll of paper money.

She took out four fen, giving two fen to each child, and whispered, “Buy some candy later.”

Panpan was initially upset with her grandmother but softened when he saw the money, realizing that her grandmother wasn’t so bad after all.

“Thank you, Grandma.”

Tiantian also took the money but tucked it into Lin Shu’s pocket, afraid she might lose it.

Lin Father signaled Lin Mother to give Lin Shu something too.

Lin Mother was reluctant, took out two mao but put it back, and then took out one mao and tossed it to Lin Shu. “Here, buy some candy. You know, I found you a good match from the city, with a salary of forty-two a month, about the same as your elder and second sisters. But you insisted… listening to your grandmother.”

She had no feelings for Lu Shaotang, having only met him once and never seen him help with farm work, so what feelings could there be?

She even asked Lin Father to write to their daughters in the city to find Lin Shu another city job.

Panpan and Tiantian were puzzled.

Panpan said, “Grandma, my dad earns over fifty a month!”

In reality, it’s a little over a hundred, but the little financial wizard knew to downplay the amount, saying it was less, as long as it was more than the match from elsewhere.

Lin Mother replied, “Your dad earns more, but he’s not home all year. Now…”

Seeing the children’s bright, clear eyes, Lin Mother was momentarily at a loss for words.

Tiantian added, “My dad’s comrades even sent money to my mom.”

Lin Mother reflexively asked, “What, do your dad’s comrades like your mom?”

If so, it might be alright; Lu Shaotang’s comrades probably earned about the same, so supporting a daughter and children would be manageable.

Lin Father nudged her, “What are you saying in front of the kids?”

Lin Mother pouted, “What else can I say? Isn’t it just a matter of time?”

She then asked the children, “Do your grandparents treat you well?”

The children answered in unison, “Yes, very well! Didn’t you see Grandma sending peaches for us to eat?”

Lin Father asked, “And how about your mom? Is she good to you?”

The children responded, “Of course, she’s good. Anyone who says bad things about Mom gets a beating from Grandma! Hmph!”

Panpan also stole glances at Lin Mother.

Lin Mother was at a loss.

She turned to see Lin Shu wandering near the door, seemingly contemplating whether to take the door off its hinges.

Hearing the children say their grandparents treated Lin Shu well, Lin Father was reassured and smiled, “See, my mother has good taste. The match she found for our daughter isn’t bad.”

Lin Mother snorted, thinking the marriage wouldn’t last long.

Previously, she had been overshadowed by her mother-in-law and couldn’t decide on her daughter’s marriage, which annoyed her.

Now that the son-in-law was gone, she was determined to find a better match for her daughter.

She was determined to find someone better than Lu Shaotang, despite Lin Shu being only 22 and still young and attractive.

Moreover, Lin Shu, who used to be timid like a quail, seemed to have learned some assertiveness from her mother-in-law.

Her eyes were darting around, hinting at some cunning plan.