Old Lin returned home from work. To avoid them, he took a detour, walking around in circles until he finally saw Bai Zhu and the two children.

He turned off a side road and came face to face with Bai Zhu.

Bai Zhu had little Bai Guo strapped to his chest with a carrier to give her a better view. He held a small basket containing Bai Guo’s milk powder, bowls, spoons, and diapers.

Xiao Zisu walked beside him, still holding onto Bai Zhu’s pants.

When Old Lin saw them, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

Which man takes care of the children?

Even if they do, it’s usually sons or grandsons. Bai Zhu was the only one who took care of his granddaughter—and two of them at that. This was the kind of family that didn’t have sons.

Old Lin, with his long-standing sense of inferiority, finally felt a strange balance and superiority.

He had no education or skills, but he had three sons and five grandsons, all of whom would care for him in his old age. He would never fall to the point of having to take care of his granddaughter.

His gaze swept over the healthy and plump Bai Guo, finally resting on Xiao Zisu.

This old man was as crafty as ever, never revealing his intentions.

“Zisu, why didn’t you call Grandpa when you saw him?”

The reactions of the three were different.

Bai Zhu gave him a glance but didn’t stop walking.

Bai Guo didn’t even look at him.

She stared blankly ahead, not happy to be carried in the carrier.

She just wanted to go home and lay like a salted fish.

Xiao Zisu, who hadn’t seen Old Lin in a long time, looked up with confusion in her eyes.

Bai Zhu took a few more steps, getting closer.

Old Lin wasn’t embarrassed at all. He continued asking, “Why haven’t you visited Grandpa’s house in a few months?”

Old Lin, who was not very tall and had a hunched back from years of hard labor, was standing right above Bai Guo.

He didn’t have the habit of brushing his teeth and had smoked dry tobacco for decades.

The smell of old tobacco mixed with his bad breath was so foul that it was worse than a latrine. Yet, he wasn’t aware of it.

As soon as he spoke, a stench spread.

Bai Zhu and Little Bai Guo, who were closest to him, were the victims.

Bai Zhu could endure it, but Little Bai Guo vomited.

Ah, it stinks so badly!!

This old man’s mouth stinks worse than a dead fish!!

“Ugh… ugh…”

Bai Guo, though salty, had a fiery temper.

She had often retaliated when Old Lin pinched her with his stubble. Each time, she would swing her small fists and hands.

Now, after being hit by the foul smell, could she endure it?

She didn’t care about Old Lin’s face at all.

Right in front of him, she threw up, waving her little hands like she wanted to hit him.

If her little hands were long enough, she would have slapped Old Lin’s face. Her little feet, usually still, were kicking wildly.

“Wow!!”

“Ugh, ugh…”

Little Bai Guo kept throwing up while crying and kicking.

“Alright, sweetie, no more vomiting. Let’s go home.” Bai Zhu pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. He was also feeling nauseous and quickly walked past Old Lin.

Xiao Zisu immediately got anxious when she saw her sister vomiting, forgetting about Old Lin.

She ran up to him, asking urgently, “Grandpa, why is sister vomiting?”

Bai Zhu replied, “Sweetie got sick from the smell.”

“Sick from the smell?”

“Yeah, she was overwhelmed by the stink.”

“Oh…”

Old Lin, ignored by everyone, turned red in the face.

He lifted his arm and sniffed, thinking that it was his own body odor that made Bai Guo vomit. He spat at Bai Zhu’s retreating back.

“You short-lived brat! So delicate!”

“Looks like someone with a short lifespan!”

…

Little Bai Guo was still angry when they got home.

Li Qiurong, surprised, asked, “Why is sweetie angry? Her little cheeks are puffed up.”

“She met Old Lin on the road and got sick from his foul mouth. She kicked all the way.” Bai Zhu took off the carrier and handed Bai Guo to Li Qiurong.

“Wow, sweetie can kick her legs now?” Li Qiurong asked in surprise.

Their little lazybones would just reach for the bathtub but never kicked her legs before.

But meeting Old Lin made her kick her legs.

Old Lin must be useful, after all!

“Not just kicking her legs, she wanted to hit him too.”

“Good news! When she’s a bit older, let her see Old Lin more often. That way, we won’t have to worry about her not learning to walk.”

Little Bai Guo grumbled, even more upset.

Why did she have to kick her legs and learn to walk?

Isn’t lying down like a salted fish good enough?

Hmph! Fishy doesn’t want to walk! Fishy just wants to lie down!!

And that annoying old man—she never wants to hear him again!

The first day of weaning, Bai Zhu and Li Qiurong paid special attention to Bai Guo’s condition.

Many babies get sick or refuse to eat when they’re weaned, but they found they had nothing to worry about. The child adjusted well, eating and drinking as usual.

After a whole day without seeing Bai Ji, she didn’t cry or fuss or ask for her mom—this was just not normal.

“This child doesn’t react at all to weaning. She hasn’t cried for her mother even though she hasn’t seen Bai Ji for a whole day.” Li Qiurong poked her little cheek.

She had never seen such an easy child.

Aside from being lazy, she had no other issues.

Li Qiurong jokingly asked, “Sweetie didn’t drink the soup from the old woman, did she?”

Bai Zhu was taken aback before looking up at her. “Don’t talk nonsense. She’s just lazy.”

“Lazy has its perks,” Li Qiurong said casually.

She was lazy about finding her mother, lazy about drinking milk. Whatever was fed to her, she ate. She didn’t care who was holding her or where she was taken, and had no particular preferences about her environment.

Come to think of it, having a little lazybones was quite stress-free.

…

Old Lin returned home with a dark face.

As soon as he entered the yard, he heard Lin Dayang’s whiny voice. “Grandma, I want to eat meat… I haven’t had meat in such a long time.”

It had been ages since their family had eaten meat. In fact, ever since the third branch split off, the Lin family hadn’t smelled meat in years.

Back when Lin Yongcheng had money and power, he was generous and would buy meat several times a month. The Lin family lived in relative comfort in the Shanglin village.

After the third branch left, Old Lin had money but had to be frugal.

With so many mouths to feed, and the family income drastically reduced, who could afford meat?

The Lin family had twin genes.

The two eldest sons of the second branch, Lin Dajiang and Lin Dahe, were twins, now ten years old.

These half-grown boys were draining their father dry, and this wasn’t an exaggeration. The eldest son of the first branch, Lin Dahai, was already seven, also at the age for growing.

Feeding several half-grown grandsons was a heavy burden.

To top it off, Old Lin was in a bad mood and started complaining in the yard.

“All day, you can’t even work properly, and you’re asking for meat. Did you come into this world to starve to death? Haven’t you eaten meat before? Embarrassing!”

After scolding his grandson, he saw his eldest granddaughter, Lin Liuzhi, collecting clothes in the yard.

She was skinny and dark, with a face that seemed to be full of hardship.

Thinking of the plump little Bai Guo raised by the Bai family, Old Lin’s mood worsened.

He pointed at Lin Liuzhi and scolded her as well.

“A half-grown girl, soon to be old enough for marriage, and still can’t even take care of herself. You look like a beggar. How are you ever going to get married?”

Lin Liuzhi, who had been scolded for no reason, was used to being the family’s punching bag.

She lowered her head in silence, her face devoid of expression.

The second granddaughter, Lin Liuyar, hid in the corner, too scared to show her face.

She quietly looked at her sister, who ate the worst food, wore the worst clothes, and had endless chores, but still wasn’t allowed to go to school.

With nothing, how could she take care of herself?

No one in the Lin family knew what had happened, just that Old Lin was in a bad mood again.

Over the past few months, they had grown accustomed to it and no one was foolish enough to ask him.

What was there to ask?!

He was clearly unhappy, and asking would only get you scolded.

No one asked, and Old Lin had no face to tell anyone that he had made Bai Guo vomit.

The first time the grandfather and granddaughter met, they left each other with very bad impressions.

Old Lin had secretly cursed Bai Guo for being short-lived, and Bai Guo disliked the foul-smelling old man so much that she wished never to see him again.

…

On the third day of weaning, Lin Yongcheng and Bai Ji returned.

After being away for a few days, Bai Ji hadn’t eaten or slept well.

Every time she closed her eyes at night, it seemed like she heard their little daughter crying and missing her mother.

Lin Yongcheng was also worried.

It was Bai Guo’s first time away from her mother, so she must have cried.

Finally, on the third day, the couple couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to head home, packing up their things along the way, wondering if their little one had lost weight.

Back at Shanglin Village, it was still early in the day.

They found the house empty and went to the health clinic to pick up the children.

Bai Guo was sound asleep.

She looked the same as before, but to Bai Ji and Lin Yongcheng’s eyes, she seemed thinner—there’s a special kind of thinness that parents notice.

Bai Zhu saw his daughter’s red eyes and quickly waved his hand.

“You two take the children home. I still need to stay a little longer.”

“Okay, we’ll head home first.” Bai Ji hugged Bai Guo while Lin Yongcheng carried Xiao Zisu with one arm and held a basket with food for Bai Guo in the other.

On their way home, Lin Yongcheng asked their eldest daughter.

“Did your sister cry or fuss these past few days?”

“Yes!” Xiao Zisu replied seriously, “Sister cried and even threw up.”

Xiao Zisu’s casual remark made Lin Yongcheng and Bai Ji imagine a dramatic scene where their little girl cried and threw up because she missed her mom. It was too heartbreaking!!

Bai Ji’s heart ached, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She hit Lin Yongcheng playfully. “Take the sweetie to the county town!”

Lin Yongcheng also felt sorry for their little girl, but considering the conditions in the county town, they both had work and couldn’t take the children. It wasn’t safe to have someone else look after them either.

“Could you trust someone else with them?”

“Take Mom along to the county town?”

Before Bai Ji could even finish her sentence, she sighed.

The living conditions in the county town weren’t great, and taking care of a child was already difficult with just one adult, so bringing an extra adult would be impossible.

When Bai Guo woke up, Bai Ji hugged her and kissed her over and over again, not letting go even while eating.

Hearing Bai Ji keep talking about how the child missed her mom and cried, Bai Guo, looking confused, had no idea what she was talking about.

Bai Zhu and Li Qiurong both fell into an awkward silence.

If they told her the little lazybones didn’t even think about her mom, it would probably make her feel worse.

Let her continue to misunderstand!