Chapter 6

“Brother Chen, time to eat~” When Shen Yiyi saw that Li Chen had yet to pick up his chopsticks, she couldn’t help but urge him.  

Her delicate voice, with a drawn-out ending, felt like a feather gently brushing against Li Chen’s heart.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he decided to remain still.

If she wasn’t moving, neither would he. He wanted to see what kind of trick she was playing.  

Under Shen Yiyi’s expectant gaze, Li Chen finally picked up his chopsticks and scooped a mouthful of white rice.

The fragrant, soft grains spread across his mouth, instantly satisfying his taste buds. He couldn’t help but chew eagerly.  

Seeing his expression, Shen Yiyi knew he was pleased. She grinned with delight as she watched the four of them—Dad and sons—devouring the meal she had prepared. A deep sense of fulfillment welled up inside her. This, after all, was the greatest meaning behind her return.  

“Brother Chen, don’t just eat rice. Have some more dishes.” Shen Yiyi said, picking up a piece of fish and placing it in Li Chen’s bowl. Li Chen hesitated for a moment before picking up a piece of cured meat and placing it in hers. His tone was stiff as he said: “You eat, too.”  

“Alright.” Shen Yiyi replied with a smile.  

This man—stubborn on the outside, soft-hearted on the inside.  

—  

Next door, in the old Li family house.  

“Mom!”  

“Mom!”  

Li Tiezhu called out loudly as he returned from outside. “Is the food ready yet? I’m starving!”  

“Almost done! Just a moment!” Jiang Ailing responded from the kitchen.  

Li Tiezhu couldn’t wait any longer. He rushed into the kitchen and took a look. Cornbread, sweet potatoes, a pot of porridge so thin it barely contained any rice, and a small plate of pickled vegetables. He immediately protested: “Mom, why is it the same food again? It’s awful!”  

Hearing this, Jiang Ailing quickly pulled Li Tiezhu into a corner. She discreetly took an egg out from her clothes and whispered: “Son, this is a boiled egg I saved just for you. After you finish eating, take it outside and eat it in secret. Don’t let your grandmother find out.”  

Eggs were considered a precious commodity in daily life. Ordinary families usually saved them to exchange for grain or reserved them for special occasions—when someone was unwell or after childbirth.  

Jiang Ailing would sometimes secretly set aside one or two for Tiezhu to eat.  

Of course, Li Tiezhu’s grandmother was well aware of this. However, since Li Tiezhu was her eldest grandson, she doted on him immensely. As long as it wasn’t done too openly, she simply turned a blind eye.  

As a result, Li Tiezhu had eggs to eat every few days.  

No one else had them, but he did. That alone filled him with a sense of pride.  

Yet today, as the aroma of meat filled the air, the egg in his hand suddenly seemed unappetizing. Even so, he still grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket. Then, turning to his Mom, he said: “Mom, I want to eat meat.”  

Jiang Ailing returned to the stove, taking out the sweet potatoes and cornbread before carrying them to the main room. Soon, the whole family would return from work, and they would need their meal.  

As she worked, she said: “Be patient, my good son. Just wait another half a month. Once the autumn harvest is over, the brigade will slaughter pigs and distribute pork. Then, I’ll cook some meat for you!”  

“I want to eat it now.” Li Tiezhu whined.  

“And where am I supposed to find meat for you right now?” Jiang Ailing frowned.  

“Next door.” Li Tiezhu replied. “Mom, can’t you smell it? The scent is coming from next door. Just now, I saw Xiao Bao and the others bringing back fish. They must be cooking fish.”  

Jiang Ailing had already smelled it. The more she inhaled the rich aroma, the hungrier she became. It had been a long time since she had eaten meat, and she was craving it terribly. If it had been any other household, she would have shamelessly gone over to chat for a while, hoping for a bite.  

But it just had to be Li Chen’s house… No, more accurately, it was Li Chen’s wife, Shen Yiyi’s.  

Even though Li Chen had already split from the family, the old lady—his Mom—was still around. If he cooked meat and didn’t send over at least a bowl or two, that would be outright unfilial!  

Although she didn’t dare scold Li Chen to his face, she was more than capable of making veiled remarks behind his back or gossiping about him outside.  

But if it was Shen Yiyi…  

That was a different story. Shen Yiyi was an Educated Youth from the city. She had only married into the Li family after being deceived by Li Chen. She never showed a good face to either Li Chen or his sons and cooked separately for herself. Though she didn’t go to work in the fields, her parents sent her money every month.  

She had no need for the Li family at all.  

Even if Jiang Ailing shamelessly went over to freeload a meal, it wasn’t just a matter of whether Shen Yiyi would share. Even her Mom-in-law and Li Chen wouldn’t allow it.  

Li Chen’s Mom felt guilty about how Li Chen had deceived Shen Yiyi. So even if Jiang Ailing, as the Mom of Li Chen’s eldest son, dared to bully Shen Yiyi, Li Chen’s Mom would never permit it.  

And as for Li Chen—who knew what kind of spell Shen Yiyi had cast on him? She clearly despised him to no end, yet he treated her like a treasure, valuing her even above his own sons.  

One could say that if Jiang Ailing cursed Li Chen, he might not even bother arguing with her. But if she dared to lay a hand on Shen Yiyi, she’d be asking for a beating.  

“Mom, I want to eat meat!” Tiezhu, seeing his Mom lost in thought, called out again.  

“My good son, but I really don’t have—” Jiang Ailing was just about to coax him when she suddenly caught sight of a red mark on his neck. Her heart clenched with pain, and she shrieked, “Tiezhu! Who hit you? Who dares to hit you? Mom will avenge you!”  

Tiezhu reached up and touched his neck. If his Mom hadn’t mentioned it, he would have forgotten he even had an injury there. He was about to say that it didn’t hurt anymore.  

But then, he thought about the meat. His round eyes darted mischievously.  

Without hesitation, he tattled, “Mom, it was Second Aunt-in-law! She hit me! You have to go get revenge for me!”  

That way, he would get to eat meat.

Father Li had a total of three sons and two daughters. The two daughters were already married off. His eldest son, Li Dabin, and his wife had given birth to three daughters. However, due to the toll childbirth had taken on her body, she could no longer conceive.  

This made Li Mom, who had always favored boys over girls, somewhat displeased.  

As for their second son, Li Chen—before he met Shen Yiyi—he had been nothing but a headache for Father Li and Li Mom, a true tyrant of a son. At one point, they had even thought he would never find a wife in his lifetime.  

So, all their hopes fell on the third son, Li Sanhong, and his wife, Jiang Ailing.  

Jiang Ailing had lost both her parents at a young age and grew up relying on her younger sister. With no natal family to support her, she had felt inferior for some time after marrying into the Li family.  

But she was lucky. Just a month after entering the family, she became pregnant. What’s more, she gave birth to a son—Li Tiezhu—instantly making her a great contributor to the Li family. Later, she bore another son and two daughters, allowing her to stand tall and proud in the household.  

Now, during the autumn harvest season, even the eldest son’s youngest daughter, only nine years old, had been sent to the fields to cut rice. Meanwhile, Jiang Ailing had secured an easier task—staying home to cook.  

Naturally, Li Tiezhu was the apple of her eye. She cherished him dearly, unwilling to lay a single hand on him, let alone allow Shen Yiyi to harm him.  

“Let’s go! Mom will get justice for you!” Jiang Ailing declared fiercely, grabbing Li Tiezhu’s hand and storming outside in a fit of rage.  

Just then, Father Li, Li Mom, the eldest son’s family, Li Sanhong, and a few children were returning from the fields. Seeing the Mom and son marching out aggressively, Li Mom called out, “Where are you going?”  

“Mom!” The moment Jiang Ailing saw Li Mom, she immediately pushed Li Tiezhu forward, pointing at his neck. “Look at Tiezhu’s neck! Just look at it! What kind of state is this? It was all done by his Second Aunt-in-law!”  

At first, Li Mom’s face darkened when she saw the red mark on Li Tiezhu’s neck. But after hearing Jiang Ailing’s words, she was momentarily stunned. “The second daughter-in-law did this?”  

She then turned to Li Tiezhu. “How did she hit you?”  

After all, the second daughter-in-law wasn’t someone who liked to stir up trouble. She barely even cared for her own children—why would she bother hitting Tiezhu?

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Translator’s Note:

Hi! I unlock 1 chapter everyday! I’m sorry, I can’t give the exact time since I’m kind of busy rn, so I hope you understand! Thank you so much for reading this novel! 💛

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