Seeing Li Sanniu’s defiant attitude, as if a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, Li Qiuhua gritted her teeth, ready to lash out. But Shen Zhihuan tugged her arm gently.

“Mom, I’m hungry,” Shen Zhihuan said, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, but loud enough for everyone in and around the house to hear.

Everyone in Panshi Village knew about Shen Zhihuan’s frail health. She couldn’t bear hunger or exhaustion. Just being able to get out of bed and take her medicine was already considered a blessing.

Especially since the so-called half-immortal, Hu Banxian, had declared she wouldn’t live past 18.

Hu Banxian had once predicted that a pig castrator from the neighboring village wouldn’t live past 60.

And sure enough, the man died the day before his 60th birthday.

Many who came to celebrate his birthday were shocked to see white mourning couplets at the door and his coffin on display. The coincidence was enough to silence any skeptics.

For Shen Zhihuan, as a sickly girl, her life seemed to hang by a thread.

“Oh no! I left my vegetables cooking on the stove!” someone in the courtyard suddenly exclaimed and rushed off in a panic.

Hearing her daughter say she was hungry, Li Qiuhua dropped everything. Without a second glance at Li Sanniu, she turned and carried the cold food back to the kitchen to heat it.

Shen Zhihuan and Xiao Weidong, ignoring Li Sanniu kneeling on the ground, helped carry dishes into the kitchen.

Before long, the aroma of food wafted out.

Qin Bin shot a glance at Qin Dahu, who immediately signaled the middle-aged man. Moments later, the limp Widow Chen was dragged out of the Shen family courtyard like a dead pig.

Li Sanniu and her two sisters wailed and tried to stop them.

“If they’re so eager to join their mother, bring them along too,” the middle-aged man said coldly.

The words stopped the three sisters in their tracks, silencing their cries.

Qin Dahu nodded to Qin Bin before leaving with the middle-aged man and the group of burly men.

Wang Tiezhu and Su Changjiang, followed to send them off.

With no more drama to watch, the crowd of villagers began to disperse in twos and threes.

The Li sisters were left standing dumbfounded in the Shen family courtyard.

Li Qiuhua reheated the food and invited Qin Bin and Huang Xiaoer to eat, ignoring the sisters who still stood awkwardly nearby. As long as they didn’t bother her daughter, they could stand or kneel as they pleased.

Seeing the Shen family enjoy their meal together, the three sisters finally fled in embarrassment.

Watching them retreat, Shen Zhihuan chuckled and looked away.

“You have a grudge against that family?” Qin Bin asked casually as he put a piece of potato into his mouth.

“That woman who reported us had her eye on my late father. Does that count as a grudge?” Shen Zhihuan shrugged, her tone forthright.

Qin Bin suppressed a smile, focusing on his meal.

Li Qiuhua shot a glare at Shen Zhihuan.

This troublesome girl! She blurted out everything!

“Eat, eat. Don’t mind her nonsense,” Li Qiuhua said with a forced smile, putting more food onto Qin Bin and Huang Xiaoer’s plates.

“Mm,” they both replied, trying not to laugh.

Huang Xiaoer had thought Shen Zhihuan was a cold and aloof girl based on their previous interactions.

But now that they were better acquainted…

She felt more like a blunt tomboy.

After eating, Qin Bin and Huang Xiaoer bid farewell. Qin Bin initially wanted to escort the Shen family to her elder sister’s house, but hearing it was just a short walk via a shortcut, he reluctantly let them go.

Because of Widow Chen’s interference, they didn’t buy the things they should have bought. As the sun was setting, Li Qiuhua didn’t want to waste any more time.

Fortunately, Qin Bin brought a large bag of cakes, canned food, malted milk and other things.

Carrying the large gift bag, Li Qiuhua led the way with two quilts strapped to her back.

Along the way, many people were so envious of the two quilts Li Qiuhua was carrying that they couldn’t take their eyes off them.

Walking behind, Shen Zhihuan slyly tossed the milk powder into her private space when no one was looking.

She wasn’t about to let that old miser from the Qian family get her hands on it.

The Qian family courtyard was still a ways off when they heard Qian Laotai’s shrill scolding.

“Ouch! My eggs. You worthless brats! Why doesn’t lightning strike you two troublemakers? Useless at everything but eating! What did our family do to deserve such pests?”

Two little girls stood trembling in the courtyard, their heads bowed.

Shen Zhimei explained in a low voice, “Mom, it’s Dabao…”

If Dabao hadn’t been running around the yard, how could Daya drop the eggs…

“What’s this about Dabao? You heartless, rotten little tramp! You can’t even lay an egg, and yet you have the nerve to open your mouth. How did my son get so unlucky, marrying a useless, barren, and rotten woman like you?

“You gave birth to two worthless little brats, and now they dare bully my precious grandson? Look at yourself! If it weren’t for my son’s kindness, I’d have kicked you out ages ago! How dare you act high and mighty in the Qian family?”

Shen Zhimei bit her lip and lowered her head, not daring to talk back.

Meanwhile, Qian Dabao held the egg cake and made faces at Daya and Erya, who stood in the middle of the yard.

“Mom, when are we eating? I’m starving.”

Old Madam Qian was about to continue scolding when a sweet, delicate voice came from inside the house.

“Dabao! Go fetch a few egg cakes for your aunt.” Old lady Qian pulled a key from her pocket and handed it to Qian Dabao, her voice suddenly soft and doting.

Qian Dabao took the key and casually went into Old lady Qian’s room. Soon, the sound of a cabinet opening could be heard. In less than a minute, he came back with a grease-stained paper bag in his arms.

Hearing the commotion, another door in the main room opened. A girl wearing a floral dress and sporting a braided ponytail sashayed out.

Grinning, Qian Dabao pulled an egg cake from the paper bag and handed it to the girl in the floral dress.

“Auntie, these egg cakes are so sweet and delicious,” he said with exaggerated smacking noises.

“Zhizhi, have this for now. When your big brother and sister-in-law come back, I’ll cook some smoked bacon for you,” Old lady Qian said with a look of deep affection.

“And Grandma, you should eat too!” Qian Dabao said. He took another egg cake from the bag and stood on his toes to feed it to Old lady Qian, who was beaming so brightly that the wrinkles on her face seemed to multiply.

When Shen Zhihuan and her family walked through the door, they were greeted by the sight of Old lady Qian, Qian Zhizhi, and Qian Dabao sitting at the entrance to the main hall, laughing and enjoying egg cakes.

Meanwhile, Shen Zhimei and her two daughters stood in the scorching sun in the middle of the yard, drenched in sweat.