The gaze of Xiao(Little) Bai Guo became somewhat subtle.

The saying about lacking grandsons only applies to those who want a grandson to carry on the family name.

To Xiao Bai Guo, these words were nonsense.

In their world of fish, reproduction wasn’t that important.

This salted fish had been lying around for a thousand years and had never laid a single egg.

When a fish doesn’t lay eggs for a thousand years, why would a human need to bear several children in just a few decades?

Their family already had children; wasn’t she and Xiao Zisu enough?

If Grandpa wanted to adopt this little brat, Xiao Baiguo wouldn’t be able to stay in the family!

Before Bai Zhu could say anything, Xiao Baiguo was already thinking about running away.

Should she take Xiao Zisu with her?

Better to take her!

Xiao Zisu loved fish so much; every day she would tell her dozens of times that she loved her. If Fishy left on her own, wouldn’t Xiao Zisu cry to death?!

Yes, it’s decided then!

Poor Bai Zhu, who had no intention of adopting Lin Zhijun, but his lazy little child not only wanted to run away but also wanted to take Xiao Zisu.

Grandpa was doomed!

Bai Zhu quickly regained his composure. “I have children.”

As for grandsons and all that, if he cared about that, he wouldn’t only have Bai Ji as a child.

He didn’t even care about his son; what would he want a grandson for?

Having two children was enough to worry about; as for Lin Zhijun saying that both of them could work, there wasn’t that much work to be done in their family.

Bai Zhu continued, “Go ask around at other people’s homes. We don’t need any more.”

Lin Qingni’s small face immediately fell, and she looked up at her brother, Lin Zhijun.

Lin Zhijun also looked disappointed, and it was hard to say he wasn’t feeling let down.

He had been thinking a lot these past few days.

In the entire Lin family, there were more than seventy households, and the ones with the fewest people, and no grandsons, were the Bai Zhu family.

Their family had few members, and the two children were small, so they wouldn’t bully his sister.

Moreover, Bai Zhu and his wife were educated people, and Lin Yongcheng and his wife were also scholars.

All four adults in the family had some education, so they wouldn’t let their own children grow up illiterate. If their children were adopted by the Bai family, he and his sister would also have a chance to learn.

It’s just a pity that Bai Zhu wasn’t willing to adopt them.

Lin Zhijun still wasn’t reconciled, so he said, “My sister and I will behave. You even helped us that day. You clearly saw…”

Before he could finish, Bai Zhu interrupted him.

“You’re mistaken,” Bai Zhu said seriously, not lying. “It was your sister who killed them, and she paid the price for it. I didn’t help you.”

He had guessed that the child who was bullied was Lin Qingni.

But he didn’t say anything; he couldn’t exactly say he helped them.

Although Bai Zhu didn’t agree with Lin Hongni’s actions of killing innocent cousins, she had already faced the consequences.

There was no need to further destroy the reputation of a six-year-old girl.

In this era, even if she was a victim, bad reputation would still be attached to her.

Maybe when she was younger, people might sympathize, but as she grew older, it would become malice, and she’d have to bear all sorts of insults.

Also, children in the same village wouldn’t hold back; they would say anything malicious.

Once people knew, she wouldn’t be able to lift her head in this place for the rest of her life.

To escape the shadows, she would have to change her name and start over in a distant place.

Clearly, they didn’t have this condition.

When he mentioned his sister, Lin Qingni’s tears started flowing, her tiny shoulders trembling slightly. “I miss mom, I miss sister!”

“Brother is here!” Lin Zhijun coaxed his sister with red eyes.

“Brother…”

Lin Zhijun couldn’t understand.

His sister was the one who had been bullied; she didn’t do anything wrong, so why did she have to endure these vile words?

When their mother had confronted the family that day, several aunts called his sister a little slut.

The uncles didn’t speak but looked at her with disdain.

Several cousins cursed her as a prostitute, a whore.

The most vicious words came from their grandparents.

They said she was the shame of the family, that at such a young age she was already seducing people, born to be a prostitute.

Although they were already dead, just recalling the filthy words made Lin Zhijun tremble with anger.

At that time, his sister held his little sister in her arms, covering her ears, not letting her hear the filthy words or see the ugly faces of those people.

Lin Zhijun couldn’t hold back anymore.

He hugged Lin Qingni, and the two siblings cried together.

Xiao Baiguo’s eyes were filled with confusion.

She had forgotten about Bai Zhu teasing her with the stink bugs. She reached out her little hand to grab his finger, as if asking why they were crying.

Fishy didn’t understand!

Human younglings’ emotions were so complicated!

But they weren’t being beaten or scolded; why cry?

Xiao Baiguo(Little Bai Guo) was puzzled.

For the first time, the lazy little thing actively grabbed his hand. Bai Zhu scooped her up and let her sit on his lap, letting her watch the scene unfold.

After a few minutes, when the crying of Lin Zhijun and his sister had subsided a little, Bai Zhu spoke.

“If you’re in any trouble, you can dig some herbs and bring them to me. If I need any, I’ll pay you for them. For those I don’t need, when I go to the county, I can help you sell them there.”

He wasn’t going to take them in, but he wasn’t unwilling to help either.

It’s better to teach them to fish than to give them a fish.

Xiao Zisu was already three years old, so it was time to teach her medicine.

His energy would definitely be focused on Xiao Zisu, and the siblings could just listen in.

Whether they had talent and learned something was up to them.

Lin Zhijun and his sister immediately stopped crying.

The two of them turned their teary eyes towards him, their faces lighting up with joy.

But after a few seconds, their faces fell again.

Lin Qingni’s voice had become hoarse from crying. She nervously grabbed her brother’s sleeve and whispered, “But… we don’t know anything about herbs.”

Bai Zhu said, “I can teach you, but how much you can learn depends on you.”

Lin Qingni and Lin Zhijun were once again filled with hope.

“Then… can we call you master?”

“No,” Bai Zhu immediately rejected them.

“Doctor Bai? Or Grandpa Bai?”

“Just call me Doctor Bai.”

Taking in disciples carried responsibility, and he needed to look at their character and aptitude.

If they were two useless people or two ingrates, it would be like inviting wolves into the house.

Bai Zhu looked at them with pity, but he wasn’t a fool who would do things out of naive kindness.

Xiao Baiguo pouted.

The way human younglings changed emotions so quickly was really something! One moment they were crying, and the next they were smiling.

Hmm… Xiao Zisu was still cuter.

She turned her head to look at Xiao Zisu.

Xiao Zisu had woken up at some point, sitting on the mat, still looking a little dazed.

She scratched her head, making her hair messy, like a little lion with messy fur, and curiously asked, “Grandpa, who are they?”

Bai Zhu replied, “Children from the team.”

Xiao Zisu nodded blankly, not asking any more questions.

After a pause, Bai Zhu added, “Starting the day after tomorrow, come here every afternoon at three. Plan your time well. If you slack off too often, then don’t come anymore.”

The siblings nodded eagerly, like little chicks pecking at rice.

…

Chen Xiaolan had drowned in the well several days ago.

The well at the village entrance was drained by manpower that same day, then lime was spread for disinfection.

The next day, some water returned, and the village chief organized manpower to drain it again and spread more lime.

The body had been in the well overnight, and no one was comfortable with washing it only once.

Just burying Lin Yongdong’s family had taken a lot of effort.

Washing the well was another major project. A fifteen-meter-deep well needed a lot of time to drain manually, and it wasn’t just drained once.

This afternoon was the third time to wash the well, and it would be the last.

Village chief Lin Changjin had been exhausted these past few days.

After the well was washed, they added a bit more lime—not for disinfection, but to make the water clearer.

After finishing this big project, Lin Changjin and Lin Shiyuan organized a village meeting in the evening.

First, to summarize the tragedy that occurred in Lin Yongdong’s family, and second, to address the issue of the well.

They couldn’t just let it go because the Lin family had been buried.

More than a dozen lives were lost, and it was shocking anywhere.

They needed to give the villagers of Shanglin team a warning, so they didn’t follow in Lin Yongdong’s footsteps.

After dinner, the families rushed to the threshing ground.

Xiao Zisu and Xiao Baiguo were still small, and they couldn’t leave them at home.

Li Qiurong held the older one, while Bai Zhu carried the younger one in his arms.

The threshing ground was crowded, and the four of them didn’t arrive early.

Xiao Baiguo perked up. So many people here!

At exactly seven o’clock, village chief Lin Changjin picked up the loudspeaker and began speaking.

“Today is a summary meeting, and also a criticism meeting.”

“Some crimes cannot be ignored just because the criminal is dead. When it comes to crime, there is no ‘dead person is great’; even if someone dies, they should still be criticized!”