Chapter 49

In her mind, Lu Jiaojiao fantasized, and all the suppressed frustration disappeared. She decided that from now on, she would obediently listen to Yin Zhihe. Only by holding onto him tightly could she live a good life and outshine Lu Baiwei.

With this resolve, Lu Jiaojiao changed her mind and decided not to probe Lu Baiwei anymore.

The setting sun, about to dip behind the mountains, cast a glow across the small stream.

In the shallows of the stream, small fish swam by.

In just a single day, He Yunqi had accepted his new aunt in his heart.

He decided that he would stay with his uncle and aunt and not return to Beijing for now.

The little one had a strong sense of adaptability. Seeing the fish swimming in the stream, his mischievous boyish nature couldn’t be suppressed.

He tugged at Tang Yunling’s sleeve: “Aunt, I want to go into the river to catch fish.”

Tang Yunling was a natural with kids. In the Tang family’s dictionary, there was no such thing as restricting what girls could do.

Catching fish in the river, catching snakes on the mountain—there was nothing Tang Yunling couldn’t do.

She wasn’t the kind of stiff, old-fashioned adult who liked to control children.

When He Yunqi wanted to catch fish, Tang Yunling helped him take off his shoes and socks, even rolling up his pant legs. Then, with a playful smack on his little bottom, she encouraged him.

“Go on, kid!”

“If you get all wet and dirty, I’ll just dunk you in the stream to rinse off, so Weiwei won’t have to give you a bath later.”

The little boy was about to cheer and say that Aunt Tang was a great person, but Tang Yunling had gotten too playful.

He was just over five years old and knew the concept of feeling shy.

He puffed up his cheeks: “Aunt, you’re shameless! How embarrassing!”

“Hmph, no touching boys.”

“You’re so young and already know how to be shy?”

He Yunqi’s stern face looked just like a little version of He Ting.

It was so amusing.

Tang Yunling couldn’t help but pinch his face: “Hahaha, Xiao Qiqi, you look so cute when you’re angry.”

He Yunqi, flustered, swatted at her with his small hand.

Tang Yunling, stepping back a little, laughed so hard she couldn’t stand up straight.

He Yunran didn’t know what had happened, but seeing her brother angry made her happy, and it didn’t stop her from laughing along with Tang Yunling.

This cheerful scene by the stream was seen by Lu Jiaojiao, who was hiding in the shadows. She thought the little brats were really annoying, and Tang Yunling was just as irritating.

She still remembered the last time when Tang Yunling had chased her and thrown pig manure at her.

Not to mention, in her past life, these two little brats had often caused trouble in front of He Ting, making him dislike her even more.

Seeing no hope with He Ting, she eventually ran off with someone else.

—

Seeing no hope with He Ting, she later ran off with someone else.

This indirectly led to her tragic fate of being trafficked for years.

There’s an old saying, *”When the tiger falls to the plains, the dogs will bully it.”*

The He family had fallen, and the little ones were like stray dogs.

If the He family was still powerful, she wouldn’t have dared to do anything to these little brats.

A malicious gleam flashed in Lu Jiaojiao’s eyes as she quickly thought of a clever plan to kill two birds with one stone.

Heh!

These two little brats from the capital, just wait to be bullied…

Tang Jingchuan had returned on a family visit and would stay in the village for a few days.

His younger brother hadn’t been home for two years, so as the older brother, Tang Jingshan had to prepare a meal for everyone to get together and catch up.

Lu Baiwei made a feast that was even more lavish than a New Year’s dinner. The next day, she took the two little ones from the capital to Tang Jingshan’s house for a meal.

After eating at Tang Jingshan’s house, it was time for them to visit Tang Jinghe’s family.

He Yunqi, the little one, had food all over his mouth. He felt that he and his sister had never had so much meat to eat in Beijing.

He understood now—living in the countryside meant plenty of meat.

The child who had cried when he first arrived now loved his life in the village and quickly made friends with the kids from Lu Baiwei’s cousin’s family.

After a rather early dinner at Tang Jinghe’s house, with the sun just setting, Lu Baiwei and He Ting tried to take He Yunqi back to the village clinic’s home. But the little one, who had learned to chase chickens and catch dogs, wasn’t having it.

He made a fuss, even learning to roll on the ground from the little Tang kids.

“He Yunqi!”

He Ting called his nickname, glaring at him.

Finally, He Yunqi stopped, rolling off the ground, and sluggishly followed He Ting and Lu Baiwei.

As soon as they left Tang Jinghe’s house, He Yunqi looked over his shoulder to make sure none of his little playmates were following.

Only then did he feel at ease and say to He Ting, “Uncle, give me some face, I want to be the boss.”

The little guy was really too funny!

Lu Baiwei struggled to hold back her laughter.

Seeing how the little brat could make his wife happy, He Ting finally decided to give him a bit of a kind look.

“Oh, so you have big ambitions?”

“Of course. Anyone who doesn’t want to be a general is not a good soldier. And anyone who doesn’t want to be the boss, like me, is a coward.”

He Yunqi puffed out his little chest: “Uncle, our He family doesn’t have any cowards.”

Still proud, huh?

Lu Baiwei couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

—

Lu Baiwei couldn’t help but laugh.

She stretched out her mischievous hand and pinched He Yunqi’s cheek.

“Yun Qi, you’re so cute.”

He Yunqi looked utterly disheartened. But seeing that his little aunt could cook such delicious meat, he endured it.

After all, Uncle He loved his little aunt the most.

The little guy was great at reading people and knew that at the clinic’s house, his little aunt was the boss.

He Ting was carrying He Yunran, who was lying on his shoulder, and He Yunqi bounced along behind Lu Baiwei. They had been waiting for a while at the clinic’s door, and when Liu Cuifang saw this scene, she felt a sharp sense of discomfort.

Liu Cuifang was the one who had bumped into He Ting and Lu Baiwei when they went to get their marriage certificate and had a meal at the state-run restaurant.

“He Ting, you’re really getting along with some country girl this well?”

Seeing Lu Baiwei walking side by side with He Ting, Liu Cuifang became furious.

She glared at He Ting with a look of disgust: “How could you do this? Po Shi was so worried about your family’s situation, crying her eyes out in the capital, and here you are, forgetting all about her and getting so close with some village girl.”

What kind of lunatic is this?

He Ting was absolutely irritated.

Liu Cuifang had insisted on coming to the countryside with him and Zhou Yanfeng. He couldn’t stand her, so he found a way to send her to the neighboring village. But now she was here, barking at his wife.

He Ting stepped forward to shield Lu Baiwei.

“Is rabies acting up?”

He Ting snapped coldly, “Get lost. Go back to where you came from.”

“He Ting, you’ve really changed. I’m heartbroken, and I feel sorry for Po Shi. She was so devoted to you, and now you’re acting all lovey-dovey with another woman.”

Liu Cuifang was still trying to go on and on. The other girls who had come with her to Xiangyang village couldn’t listen anymore.

He Zhiqing had married a girl from Xiangyang village, and now, his closest relationship was with his wife.

How could Liu Cuifang say that He Zhiqing’s wife was some other woman?

The girls who had come with Liu Cuifang thought she had always seemed nice, but now, they felt she was being unreasonable.

She was on someone else’s turf, insulting the wife as a country bumpkin and a “country firewood girl.”

She was a country girl too!

They realized it was a mistake to have been kind enough to bring Liu Cuifang here, thinking she didn’t know the way.

When Liu Cuifang tried to keep talking, one of the girls from behind tugged at her clothes to remind her.

“Liu Zhiqing, didn’t you say you were here to deliver a message for your friend?”