Chapter 8

Jiang Ailing grabbed Li Tiezhu and pointed at the red mark on his neck, demanding: “Second Sister-in-law, I have no grudge against you, do I? Tell me, why did you hit my Tiezhu?”  

“Because Eldest Cousin wanted to take our fish!” The Three Baos were furious.

“He even bullied us!”  

Their Mom and Dad had called them to eat. Although they had never had such delicious food before, in their hearts, their parents were more important.  

So, one by one, they ran out, clutching Shen Yiyi’s clothes, looking as if they were fiercely protecting their own.  

Jiang Ailing had just heard Tiezhu say that his neck was scratched by Shen Yiyi, and her anger had surged straight to the top of her head. She had rushed over without considering the reason behind it.  

Tiezhu, upon hearing their words, immediately denied it. “Nonsense! I didn’t bully you! You were the ones who wanted to give me the fish, so I could take it home and cook it, then bring you two pieces. You said that if you took it home to Second Aunt-in-law, she definitely wouldn’t let you eat it.”  

Having a basin of dirty water thrown on them, especially in a way that might cause their Mom to misunderstand, made the Three Baos’ faces flush red with anger.

Even Da Bao, who was usually calm and sensible, couldn’t help but shout: “You’re lying!”  

Xiao Bao, afraid that their Mom would misunderstand, was so anxious that his words came out unclear. “No, it’s not true! It’s not like he said!”  

Er Bao was so enraged that he wanted to fight Tiezhu. “We would never do that to Mom, you bastard!”  

Shen Yiyi hurriedly comforted them, assuring them that their Mom wouldn’t believe such lies. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.  

“Hmph, of course, they won’t admit it.” Jiang Ailing seized the opportunity and snorted coldly. “Second Sister-in-law, don’t blame me for speaking bluntly, but Tiezhu was right about one thing—if the Three Baos had brought the fish back, wouldn’t you have eaten it all yourself? After all, they’re just children. It’s only natural for them to crave good food.”  

Er Bao wanted to say something, but Shen Yiyi held him back. He looked at Jiang Ailing, the smile on his lips vanishing in an instant. “Third Aunt-in-law, you said all children crave good food—does that mean your Tiezhu doesn’t?”  

Shen Yiyi glanced sideways at Li Tiezhu. “I clearly saw that the moment he walked in, his eyes were glued to our dining table. Hmm, even now, he’s still staring.”  

Jiang Ailing looked down and, sure enough, saw Li Tiezhu staring intently at the meat on the table from afar, drool already dripping onto his clothes. She quickly yanked him back.  

“My Xiao Bao’s eyes are still red and swollen. If they had willingly given Tiezhu the fish, then why would he cry?”  

Not giving Jiang Ailing a chance to speak, Shen Yiyi continued: “And you said that if the Three Baos brought the fish back, I would eat it all myself and not give them any. Are you blind? Didn’t you see how many bowls are set on the table?”  

Hearing this, Da Bao and Er Bao, who understood the implication, let out a breath of relief—Mom believed them!  

Jiang Ailing’s face flushed red from the scolding.  

Indeed, if the Three Baos had returned home and were still able to eat meat, then Li Tiezhu’s claim was utterly baseless.  

Realizing she wouldn’t gain anything from this argument, Jiang Ailing immediately gave Li Tiezhu a light slap. “You brat! If you want to eat meat, just say so. Why lie?”  

Then, she turned to Shen Yiyi with an embarrassed smile. “Second Sister-in-law, I’m really sorry, I misunderstood. I’ll make sure to teach Tiedan a lesson when we get home…”  

With that, she grabbed Tiezhu, ready to leave in a hurry.  

“Tiezhu…”  

A cold, deep voice rang out, making Jiang Ailing, who had been about to pull Tiezhu away, freeze in place. She turned with an awkward smile toward Li Chen. “Second Brother, don’t hold it against Tiezhu. He knows he was wrong. I’ll scold him properly when we get home…”  

Li Chen paid no attention to Jiang Ailing’s words. His gaze remained cool as he fixed it on Tiezhu. “Tiezhu, didn’t your Dad ever tell you that bullying your younger brothers would earn you a beating?”

Li Chen’s “glorious deeds” were no secret in the village. While the adults didn’t see them as something to be proud of, the children thought they were incredibly impressive.  

Li Tiezhu, who neither worked nor studied, spent his days roaming the village with a gang of “brothers.” modeling himself after Li Chen. As a result, people often called him Li Chen’s “successor.”  

Rather than feeling ashamed, Li Tiezhu took great pride in it, believing it made him look formidable. He idolized Li Chen like a hero.  

Of course, admiration was one thing—fear was another.  

The moment he saw Li Chen’s expression, he completely forgot about the meat and was so terrified that he wanted to run.  

But how could Li Chen let a child escape from his grasp?  

With just a few quick strides, he caught Li Tiezhu and, without hesitation, delivered several sharp smacks to his backside.  

Pa! Pa! Pa!  

Li Tiezhu yelped and burst into tears on the spot.  

“Stop hitting him! Second Brother, stop!” Jiang Ailing cried out in distress.

However, she was also afraid of Li Chen and didn’t dare to step forward. Instead, she turned to Mother Li for help. “Mom, please say something! Tell Second Brother to stop! Tiezhu is your eldest grandson!”  

Mother Li’s heart ached to see her eldest grandson being beaten, but the truth was—she feared her second son as well.  

Besides, while she did dote on Li Tiezhu, the Three Baos were also her grandchildren. They had already suffered enough, and yet Tiezhu still bullied them. That was indeed too much.  

Suppressing her anger, Mother Li turned on Jiang Ailing and scolded: “What are you yelling for? Why is Tiezhu getting a beating? Isn’t it because you failed to raise him properly? If anyone deserves a beating, it’s you!”  

Why was it her fault again?!  

Jiang Ailing felt utterly wronged. She turned to Eldest Sister-in-law Li, pleading: “Eldest Sister-in-law, please help me talk to Second Brother!”  

Eldest Sister-in-law Li pressed her lips together. She wanted to say that the beating was well deserved—Li Tiezhu, spoiled as he was, often bullied her three daughters.

But she didn’t dare say that out loud. Instead, she lowered her head and timidly muttered: “Ailing, I… I can’t persuade Second Brother either.”  

Jiang Ailing was furious. She shot Eldest Sister-in-law Li a glare before turning her gaze to Shen Yiyi.

Their eyes met in midair for a second before Shen Yiyi looked at Li Chen and said: “Brother Chen, keep going. Xiao Bao’s eyes are still swollen.”  

Li Chen, who had just released Li Tiezhu, grabbed him again and resumed the spanking.  

Jiang Ailing was so enraged that she burst into tears.  

Shen Yiyi watched coldly. Given everything Jiang Ailing had done, the only reason she wasn’t the one getting beaten right now was that there was no solid proof against her at the moment. But letting her off the hook easily?  

Impossible.  

Li Chen landed several more heavy smacks on Li Tiezhu before finally letting him go.

Jiang Ailing, terrified that Li Chen might continue, quickly scooped up her bawling, snot-covered son and ran off.  

“What a mess… truly disgraceful.” Mother Li muttered irritably as she watched Jiang Ailing’s retreating figure.  

Then, looking at the Three Baos still clinging to their Mom, she beckoned them over and gently patted their heads. “If your Brother Tiezhu ever bullies you again, just tell Grandma. Grandma will deal with him.”  

“Okay~” The Three Baos responded in soft, sweet voices.  

Shen Yiyi stood to the side, observing.  

Having read this book and lived through an entire lifetime, she knew that although Mother Li favored Li Tiezhu a little, she had never truly mistreated the Three Baos.  

She also carried a deep sense of guilt toward Shen Yiyi. Even though Shen Yiyi didn’t interfere with Li Chen and the children, Mother Li had never uttered a word of complaint. Instead, she silently helped raise the children.  

Of course, Shen Yiyi understood that this was all because of Li Chen. While Father Li and Mother Li outwardly seemed afraid of this son, in reality, he was the one they worried about and helped the most.