Lu Hehuan said, “Mother, don’t feel bad. If it’s too much, I’ll just eat less.”

Fang Dihua didn’t want to make her husband angry, so she didn’t give him all the details.

She just said she brought home some cornmeal.

Father Lu could guess a bit of what was going on, so he changed the topic to something more pleasant.

“I’ll continue to read ‘The Declaration’ to you. The article is written so well.” He whispered, “Let’s memorize it. In the future, we can recite it like we do with the Heart Sutra and the Medicine Sutra; it will definitely be more effective.”

Fang Dihua said, “Slow down; my memory is poor, and I can’t remember everything.”

Father Lu replied, “It’s alright, listen a few more times and you’ll remember gradually.”

After a while, Fang Dihua sighed and said, “I see clearly now. All these children, one after another, are really irritating. At least we have our sweet Panpan and Tiantian. They make me happy every day and keep me from getting angry.”

Father Lu quietly said, “The third son’s family is good too, more considerate than the daughters.”

Fang Dihua thought about the bank incident and smiled, “That’s true. Let’s just focus on our immediate family; we can’t take care of everyone.”

The daughters who are married off, if you don’t treat them like outsiders, they’ll think of you as outsiders.

When they need help, they’ll come back to be spoiled and cry for help; if they don’t need it, they see themselves as part of another family.

The third daughter-in-law is good; since she changed her temperament, she educates the children, is filial to her parents-in-law, and is kind to her sisters-in-law, taking care of the whole family well.

Those few thousand yuan should be given to her.

The old couple’s actions have already shown their unspoken choice.

In a few years, when the eldest grandson Lu Ping comes of age and gets married, the family will split.

At that time, the old couple will surely live with the third son’s family.

No matter whether the third son is at home or not, they have a deep bond with the third daughter-in-law, Tiantian, and Panpan.

They will stay together.

Being close to the eldest son and his wife is fine, but the troublesome Lu Dage is the problem.

The second son is fine, but his wife is another matter…

The third son’s family is the best.

…

Lin Shu lay on the kang, listening to her mother-in-law scold her younger sister-in-law, and she couldn’t help but reflect on the universal heartache of parents.

Having children is like opening a blind box.

If you don’t get an angelic child but one who causes trouble, your heart will be pulled in different directions for life.

Saying you won’t be affected or upset would be a lie.

Raising a child for a hundred years means worrying for ninety-nine.

Thinking about her two angelic children, Lin Shu felt content.

With children like this, what more could one ask for?

The moon hadn’t risen yet, and the sky was filled with stars, casting a dreamy glow over the land.

Although she could never return to her past life, Lin Shu felt that this world was quite good.

In her previous life, after her grandmother passed away, she had no one to care for her.

Her father was stubborn and hot-tempered.

Though he never physically punished her, the constant fighting between him and her mother left deep scars, making her afraid to marry.

Her mother, despite being a victim, was biased towards sons.

She thought having a son would solve her marriage problems and took risks as an older mother, resulting in a tragic outcome that made Lin Shu resolutely avoid marriage and childbirth.

Afraid of burdening others due to her illness, she turned down all suitors.

She was too harsh on herself, never giving herself the love and care she deserved.

Only her grandmother—short, thin, and frail—took her in after she fell ill and was rejected by her parents.

Her grandmother cared for her tenderly and did everything she could to encourage her when she lost hope.

Her grandmother, a rural woman without a pension, learned to ride a tricycle and sold vegetables in the city to buy her a computer.

Sometimes the city authorities confiscated her goods, sometimes the weather ruined her produce, and sometimes she fell into ditches due to her failing eyesight.

Seeing her grandmother’s determination to help her live made Lin Shu regain her will to survive, so strong and resolute.

She didn’t want her grandmother to suffer for her; she wanted to be strong, to be her grandmother’s shield, to protect her from the storms!

She was grateful for the years she spent spreading her wings, creating beautiful memories for herself and her grandmother.

She had promised her grandmother she would live well no matter where she was and love herself.

Now, Fang Dihua felt like her grandmother.

Though not as fierce or imposing as her grandmother, the protective and nurturing feeling she offered, and her genuine concern for her family, made Lin Shu’s heart tremble with gratitude.

Some people are born to give and to burn themselves to light up others.

It’s deeply touching.

Although she didn’t receive her parents’ love in her past life, in this family, apart from her mother-in-law, everyone else—her children, father-in-law, elder sister-in-law, Second Brother Lu Erge, Lu Ping, and even Eldest Brother Lu Dage—treated her very well.

Then there are Lin’s parents and younger brother, and even Aunt Li and others who made her feel deeply cared for and welcomed.

They made her feel safe and protected, and she didn’t feel lonely at all.

They gave her a peaceful space, and she wanted to repay them with an even happier and more fulfilling life.

In this life, she would never let them repeat the mistakes of the original story.

The night breeze blew in from the courtyard, carrying a refreshing scent of plants—a mix of flower fragrance, the fresh aroma of grass and wood, water vapor, and the earthy smell of soil, cool and comfortable.

Lin Shu slept soundly, from dusk till dawn.

For breakfast, she continued to make steamed egg custard for her children and boiled eggs for everyone.

These days, Father Lu brought home eggs every day, and their own chickens were laying continuously.

Lin Shu made everything from egg flower soup to boiled and steamed eggs, making the Lu family’s faces glow with health.

Lin Shu felt that life was excessively pleasant.

She looked in the mirror; her skin was so good it seemed to be glowing. Ah, how fortunate she was.

Not just her, everyone else was also gaining weight.

Tiantian and Panpan had cute little chubby spots on their bodies—on the backs of their hands and arms.

Those little fat spots were adorable, making one want to kiss them.

Xu Xiaoyou had changed a lot since she arrived.

She slept soundly and ate well, and the once shriveled bean sprout now had a healthy sheen.

In the morning, Old Lu wrote a reply to Chen Yanming, mainly about Lin Shu and the two children.

He specifically included Lin Shu’s comments about Old Sun, noting that Lin Shu had been changing more and more, getting better, though he didn’t go into specifics.

He also added a few amusing stories about the children; there were so many that he couldn’t possibly write them all.

After finishing the letter, he folded the paper and planned to send it to the county along with Lin Shu’s and the children’s letters.

Lin Shu wasn’t initially interested in writing letters, but since Chen Yanming was meddling and trying to disrupt her relaxation plan, she was determined to give him a piece of her mind.

She wanted him to see what maternal warmth truly looked like!

Tiantian and Panpan weren’t going anywhere today; they were diligently writing letters at home.

Their little friends wanted to play with them but were politely declined on the grounds that they needed to concentrate on their letters.

Xu Xiaoyou didn’t want to go out to play alone, so she helped the children, acting as their advisor.

Tiantian held the pen, while Panpan and Xu Xiaoyou assisted.

Tiantian came up with ideas, determined to write a letter that would captivate her father and make him want to read more.

Lin Shu naturally didn’t correct them.

The last thing she wanted was to make her children sad.

Even if it meant pretending that Lu Shaotang was still alive and turning into a celestial being who stayed by their side, she was fine with it.

Tian Tian focused on writing about the amusing stories of Grandpa’s illness, Aunt Lu Da’s tractor driving, and Uncle Lin Yue’s divorce…

Three heads are better than one, and with three clever and lively kids, the letter was written with the most innocent language, full of twists and turns of gossip.

In the end, Tian Tian generously added Xu Xiaoyou’s name at the bottom: Tian Tian, Pan Pan, and You You.

After writing the letter, Lin Shu folded it, placed it in an envelope, and set it on the large wooden box in the east room, holding it down with “Capital” until her father-in-law went to the county and could take it with him.

Lin Shu took the three children out to play in the streets and took the opportunity to chat with Jin Ping’er and the other women, building connections and relationships.

At this moment, Xu’s mother came over with a small basket of vegetables.

Her face was haggard, and her frame was so thin that her clothes hung loosely on her.

She swayed with every step, looking as though she was about to fall apart.

She looked like a long-suffering mother who had spent her life toiling for her children and family.

From a distance, Lin Shu could already smell the strong aroma of tea.

She was surprised: “Aunt, you don’t work in the fields these days, and your son and daughter-in-law are earning wages. Why are you so thin and starving?”