While scolding, Bai Ji continued to slap her.

It was fine if the mischief happened at home, but if it affected other people’s kids, that was a serious problem.

If she didn’t teach her a lesson now, there would be another problem next time.

At home, it didn’t matter, but she couldn’t lead other people’s children astray.

Little Zisu cried softly.

“Mom is bad. Mom hit me…”

“I’m bad? You didn’t reflect on what you did wrong and still say I’m bad?” Bai Ji slapped her two more times, then let go. “Go stand in the corner and think about it for an hour!”

Little Zisu went to stand in the corner, just as Du Qingqing did.

The two children stood in the corner, facing the wall.

Bai Ji’s anger hadn’t subsided, so she complained to Doctor Du. “My child is getting worse and worse. Yesterday afternoon, she caused trouble at home.”

She explained how Little Zisu wanted to make Lin Yongcheng her son-in-law.

Doctor Du’s face turned red with embarrassment.

Logically, if Little Zisu gave Du Qingqing the bad idea, it must have come from her own experience.

But the matter of the son-in-law was different.

Lin Yongcheng wasn’t a son-in-law.

Little Zisu shouldn’t even understand what that meant.

And when Little Zisu mentioned the surname passed down from the mother, she brought up Du Qingqing.

It was obvious—Du Qingqing must have been the one behind it!!

Now, Doctor Du couldn’t stand it anymore.

At home, her parents were there to stop her from hitting her children, but now, at the hospital, who would stop her?

Doctor Du smiled awkwardly. “Bai Ji, sorry, it must have been my little brat’s fault. I’m going to give her a good smack right now. This is outrageous!”

Bai Ji: “Ah… Qingqing taught her?!”

Doctor Du nodded.

Without a word, she rolled up her sleeves and went to hit the child.

The two troublemakers received their punishment and stood in the corner wiping their tears. How pitiful.

The two mothers didn’t feel sorry at all!!

Mischievous children deserve to be punished!

If they cause trouble in their own homes, it’s one thing, but leading other children astray is a big problem.

If they didn’t learn a lesson today, it would happen again.

At home, anything could happen, but they couldn’t lead other children astray.

Little Bai Guo watched the two troublemakers getting beaten, and couldn’t help but sigh.

This all happened because Du Qingqing was too obedient.

If she had just stayed calm and ignored Doctor Du cutting her hair, nothing would have happened.

Of course, that wouldn’t have been the issue if she wasn’t a mischievous child.

She knew her mother treasured her hair the most, and still didn’t care. That would have been too cold-hearted.

So, the two troublemakers getting punished was inevitable.

Little Baiguo watched the two scenes and felt quite refreshed.

She was a naughty little salty fish, and even though her sisters were punished, she still had time to watch the show.

Sigh, she really shouldn’t be this way.

If there’s a next time, she’d definitely shout, “Hit them more!”

…

After this event, Bai Ji and Doctor Du decided to keep the two troublemakers apart.

When one mischievous child causes trouble, it’s manageable since the parents understand their own kids. At home, they can handle them.

But adding another mischievous child from someone else’s family is different, and the damage multiplies.

And there are always new tricks they can’t anticipate.

Separation was a must!

Before leaving work, Doctor Du said, “Tomorrow, let Qingqing stay with her grandparents.”

Bai Ji agreed, “Tomorrow my mom will look after the kids at home. I’ll bring Baiguo, and the day after tomorrow, my mom will take Little Zisu to the countryside.”

The tea should be ready for harvest on the mountain by now, and drying and peeling can be done at the rice fields of the Lin family village, which is flat and not a problem for kids.

Anyway, the two troublemakers wouldn’t be together again.

Little Zisu and Du Qingqing were reluctant to leave and stared at each other with teary eyes.

Having just been beaten, their little bottoms sore and still in pain, they didn’t dare cause trouble for the moment.

They were each dragged away by their own moms, glancing back with reluctance.

Back home, Li Qiurong noticed the still-drying tears on Little Zisu’s face.

Just as she was about to feel sorry, Bai Ji started telling her about Little Zisu’s mischievous deeds.

Grandma immediately changed her mind and didn’t feel sorry anymore.

Mischievous children deserve to be punished!

The next day, Li Qiurong took Xiao Zisu and left.

Xiao Zisu cried and shouted that she didn’t want to go.

The person she was most reluctant to part with wasn’t her mother, but her sister.

She had gotten used to being apart from her parents for a few days, but not from her sister. Since her sister was born, they had never been apart.

Xiao Zisu cried so sadly.

Unfortunately, both their parents had to discipline her.

Xiao Bai Guo felt sorry for the little sister.

Xiao Zisu really had it rough.

Not only did she get a beating, but she was also sent to the countryside to be isolated like a little troublemaker, with no idea when she’d come back.

At the hospital, Dr. Du kept his word and didn’t bring Du Qingqing along.

Without the two little ones around, Xiao Bai Guo became increasingly bored.

She suddenly missed Xiao Zisu. Normally, she was always chattering around her, and sometimes Xiao Bai Guo would find it noisy. Now that there was no one, she wasn’t used to it anymore. When would Xiao Zisu come back?

The first day she missed Xiao Zisu.

The second day she missed Xiao Zisu.

…

On the tenth day, Xiao Zisu finally returned.

After work, Bai Ji brought Xiao Bai Guo home. As they entered the yard, they heard an excited voice: “Sister! Sister is back! I haven’t seen you in so long!”

It was the first time the sisters had been apart for such a long time.

During her stay at Shanglin Dui, although Lin Qingni and Xiao Liuyue had kept her company, Xiao Zisu had always missed Xiao Bai Guo, thinking of her every day, counting the days until she could return to the county town.

After staying in Shanglin Dui for ten days, Xiao Zisu had gotten tanned.

She had been working in the sun for the tea picking and peeling, in an area with a high terrain and scorching heat, and within just a few days, she had gotten several shades darker.

Bai Ji tied Xiao Bai Guo onto her back, and as soon as she heard Xiao Zisu’s voice, her eyes lit up. Yes, it was that chattering voice.

She hadn’t heard it for a long time and missed it.

“Sister, come down quickly.”

“I miss you so much! Did you miss me?”

Xiao Zisu looked at her eagerly.

“Ah, uh…” Xiao Bai Guo tilted her head, stretched out to look at Xiao Zisu, and cooperatively babbled, “Mmm…”

“Good baby, don’t move!” Bai Ji quickly put down the little basket, grabbed the squirming Xiao Bai Guo, and waved at Xiao Zisu, “Shout a couple more times, your sister will fall down. Go into the house first, and I’ll let you see her later.”

As soon as Xiao Zisu heard that her sister would fall, she immediately became obedient.

“I’ll wait for you in the house, sister.”

When Xiao Zisu left, Xiao Bai Guo became obedient too. Bai Ji let her down from her back, and she immediately poked her little nose.

“Did you miss your sister too?”

Usually so lazy, she hadn’t shown excitement even when she hadn’t seen Lin Yongcheng for a few days. But today, she responded to Xiao Zisu and even leaned out to look at her sister.

The two children had a good bond, and Bai Ji was happy.

She carried Xiao Bai Guo into the house, and Xiao Zisu had already been eagerly waiting.

Her gaze followed Bai Ji closely, and as soon as Bai Ji put Xiao Bai Guo on the bamboo bed, she immediately went over and kissed her sister all over, leaving saliva on her face.

“Sister, did you miss me?”

“I miss you every day! I kept urging grandpa and grandma to come back quickly!”

“…”

Xiao Zisu chattered nonstop while Li Qiurong and Bai Shu were talking to Bai Ji.

This time, when they returned to Shanglin Dui, many people, including the village party secretary and the team leader, were persuading Bai Shu to stay.

Since he left, things had become quite inconvenient.

If they had never had a barefoot doctor in the beginning, people would have gotten used to it. But after getting so many conveniences, who could accept going back?

They tried to persuade him, but Bai Shu still insisted on returning to the county town.

Firstly, he didn’t want to be apart from his family, and secondly, the two children were still young. Xiao Bai Guo couldn’t leave their hands, and Xiao Zisu was at the age where she needed education.

They couldn’t be separated from their parents.

Despite the villagers’ efforts to keep them, they returned to the county town.

As they were talking, Bai Ji was facing her two daughters when she looked up and saw Xiao Zisu trying to put something into Xiao Bai Guo’s mouth.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she hurried over in shock.

Xiao Zisu was holding a brown August fruit. This fruit was sweet and fragrant to eat but had a lot of seeds, and not much flesh.

It was typically ripe around tea picking season.

She had picked a fully ripe August fruit, scraped out the flesh, and was about to feed it to her sister. She loved it and wanted to share it with Xiao Bai Guo.

In the past, her sister was too young to eat anything, but now that she had grown, she could eat it, and Xiao Zisu wanted to feed her herself.

“Sister, I’m giving you fruit.”

“It’s super delicious!”

Xiao Bai Guo stared at the fruit, which smelled sweet, and eagerly opened her mouth to accept the offering.

However, before it could reach her mouth, Bai Ji yelled in fury.

“Zisu, stop it!!”

Both Xiao Bai Guo and Xiao Zisu were caught off guard and shivered in fear.

The piece of August fruit fell onto Xiao Bai Guo, and the two sisters stood frozen, still in shock.

Bai Ji immediately rushed over, picked up Xiao Bai Guo, and shook off the fruit from her.

“Zisu, why are you feeding your sister food like that?”

“Didn’t I tell you before? Feeding her is an adult’s job. Why aren’t you listening?”

Bai Ji was genuinely upset.

If she hadn’t seen it, that seed-filled August fruit might have choked Xiao Bai Guo, whose throat was still small. What if she choked? The thought terrified her, and she scolded Xiao Zisu harshly.

Li Qiurong and Bai Shu turned around in alarm, realizing what had happened.

Seeing Bai Ji was angry, Li Qiurong signaled her with a glance.

“Don’t be so angry, and don’t shout at the child.”

Li Qiurong walked over and hugged Xiao Zisu, gently patting her and comforting her in a soft voice, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Grandma’s here, it’s alright, it’s alright.”

Xiao Zisu had indeed been frightened.

After a couple of pats, she started crying loudly.

“Wa…!” She clutched Li Qiurong’s clothes tightly, crying louder and louder in her arms. “Mom is so fierce… Woo woo woo!”

Xiao Zisu felt wronged.

She had shared her favorite thing with her sister, but her mother had yelled at her and scolded her.

She thought her mom didn’t like her anymore.

She cried in great sorrow.

“I’m fierce? Are you feeling wronged because you did something wrong?” Bai Ji’s tears also welled up.

She didn’t want to scold her child, but she was so anxious and upset.

She hadn’t hit Xiao Zisu; she had only held Xiao Bai Guo and restrained herself. If she had been really furious, she would have hit her!

“Don’t shout at her!” Li Qiurong protected Xiao Zisu in her arms and shot a sharp look at Bai Ji. “The child is scared, and you’re still yelling. Hurry up and calm down. You screamed so loudly, you scared even me.”

Xiao Bai Guo had finally come to her senses and started crying as well.

The two children cried together, and Bai Ji and Li Qiurong each tried to comfort one of them.

It took a while to calm them down.

Bai Ji’s emotions also settled, but Xiao Zisu was still upset and wouldn’t talk to her. She kept stealing glances at Bai Ji, unsure whether she was angry with her mom or afraid her mom would ignore her.

Perhaps it was both.

After dinner, Xiao Zisu’s mood had mostly stabilized.

She wasn’t speaking to Bai Ji, but was occasionally looking at her.

Perhaps she was still upset, or afraid of being ignored.

After dinner, it was time for the father to step in.

Lin Yongcheng went inside, grabbed an August fruit, and took Xiao Zisu out to the yard to have a serious conversation with her.

Father and daughter sat face to face under the eaves.

Lin Yongcheng sat on a small stool, and Xiao Zisu sat on a high stool, so their gazes were more or less level.

Lin Yongcheng asked, “Do you love your sister, Zisu?”

Without hesitation, Xiao Zisu nodded, “I love her very much. She’s my little treasure.”

“Do you love her so much that you’d share your favorite things with her?”

“Yeah… She hasn’t had fruit before.”

Sisters having a good relationship was a good thing, but if she hadn’t fed Xiao Bai Guo that fruit, Lin Yongcheng would have been pleased.

However, now was not the time to talk about feelings.

“Before, when you were in the countryside, grandpa and grandma would always remove the seeds from the August fruit for you. You’re almost four years old, and you can’t eat the fruit with seeds. Your sister is only six months old. Why are you feeding her something you can’t eat?”

This was one of Lin Yongcheng’s biggest concerns.

His in-laws spoiled the kids, and all the August fruits he picked in the mountains were saved for Xiao Zisu, even exchanging some for others.

He had brought an entire basket back to the county town.

He didn’t understand how Xiao Zisu could feed her sister something she herself couldn’t eat.

Luckily, Xiao Zisu was his own daughter. If it had been one of his nieces or nephews, he would have suspected they were doing it deliberately.

Xiao Zisu bit her lip and then quietly said, “Grandpa and Grandma eat the fruit with seeds, so I thought the ones with seeds just didn’t taste as good.”

She was little and couldn’t remove the seeds herself.

Since grandpa and grandma could eat it, she thought it was fine to feed it to her sister.

“Grandpa and Grandma are adults, but you’re a good girl and still a child. It’s different,” Lin Yongcheng sighed heavily.

What could he do? He couldn’t hit her. He could only patiently explain, gently pinching her small nose. “How do you feel?”

When Xiao Zisu couldn’t breathe, she opened her mouth to gasp and slapped Lin Yongcheng’s hand. “Let go of me…”

Lin Yongcheng finally released her, asking, “Was it uncomfortable?”

Xiao Zisu nodded but didn’t speak.

Lin Yongcheng continued, “Luckily your mom saw it. Otherwise… if that fruit with seeds had gone into Xiao Bai Guo’s mouth, the seeds would have gotten stuck in her throat and she wouldn’t have been able to breathe. Do you want to lose your sister?”

Xiao Zisu’s eyes showed a trace of fear.

“No! I want my sister. I can’t live without her!”

“Then don’t feed her anything again.”

Meanwhile, Lin Yongcheng and Lin Yongye were preparing to head home. They planned to take advantage of a day off tomorrow and walk back.

As they were walking, they suddenly noticed someone lying by the roadside.