On the return carriage, Lin Qingxu gazed at the two bags of pastries resting on her lap, silently cupping her warm cheeks and breaking into a smile.

If she were to rate Su Yan from the perspective of a devoted fan after today’s encounter, she would undoubtedly give him a stunning score of ninety-eight.

The missing two points were solely due to her fear of inflating his ego!

With his gentle demeanor, polite nature, and thoughtful consideration, combined with his handsome, jade-like appearance and impressive family background, he was the epitome of a charming second male lead.

Just his casual smile sent Lin Qingxu into a daze for half the day, not to mention how warm and caring he was towards her.

Meanwhile, Lin Qingwan watched from the side, grinning widely as if her eyes might pop out. She had suspected her sister was acting oddly earlier, but with others around, she couldn’t ask directly. Now, it was clear that her sister was completely smitten…

“Snap out of it.” Fang Xiu remarked suddenly, noticing the vibrant expressions on the sisters’ faces.

Lin Qingxu felt a sudden tightness in her chest; it was as if a small snake had slithered down her spine, leaving her feeling cold.

Her thoughts, previously floating in the air, came crashing back down to earth. Quickly, she wiped the infatuated smile off her face and, seeing Fang Xiu’s gaze shift to the pastries, she awkwardly chuckled and hastily pushed the scalding “hot potato”—no, pastries—aside to distance herself from them.

As Fang Xiu withdrew her gaze, Lin Qingxu sat up straight, adopting a serious demeanor as she obediently said. “Mother.”

Lin Qingwan was taken aback by her sister’s sudden change, her eyes wide with surprise. She reached out to touch Lin Qingxu’s forehead, asking, “Sister, if something’s wrong, you don’t have to hide it!”

Before Lin Qingxu could frown and dodge her sister’s probing hand, Fang Xiu displayed her strength by swatting Lin Qingwan’s small hand away.

“Stop saying nonsense.” Fang Xiu replied coldly.

Lin Qingwan rubbed her reddened knuckles, gritting her teeth in resignation under their mother’s authority.

“Did Su Yan say anything else about your situation?” Fang Xiu asked Lin Qingxu.

Lin Qingxu and Lin Qingwan had been personally escorted to the town gate by Su Yan, and even the carriage they were currently riding in was summoned by him. Fang Xiu had a strong suspicion about what Lin Qingxu had been up to.

Seeing her eldest daughter in such a lovestruck state, it was likely she had no complaints about Su Yan.

At this, Lin Qingwan reacted the strongest, her eyes narrowing as she fixed her gaze on Lin Qingxu, curiosity evident in her expression.

Feeling the weight of their stares, Lin Qingxu’s face grew warm. She cleared her throat and said. “No, he just told me to take care of my health and to come to town for medical attention if I have any other symptoms.”

Lin Qingwan, who was present at the time, nodded firmly, convinced that her sister was still of sound mind.

Fang Xiu shot her a cold glance, prompting Lin Qingwan to immediately retract her neck and begin pacing in circles.

“Well, your wedding day isn’t far off. Use this time to prepare properly.” Fang Xiu said, pausing briefly before adding. “It’s good that your mind is clear again.”

Lin Qingxu noticed a hint of a sigh hidden within Fang Xiu’s words. Furrowing her brow, she recalled the issues she had noticed earlier and considered asking about them, but she saw Fang Xiu’s gaze shift away, signaling she didn’t want to elaborate.

Lin Qingxu bit her lip and swallowed lightly. Turning to look at Lin Qingwan, who appeared blissfully unaware, she decided to set the matter aside for now.

As the carriage pulled up to their home, the sun hung low in the sky, casting deep red hues across the horizon as it prepared to set.

Lin Qingxu and Lin Qingwan jumped down from the carriage, helping to unload the items they had bought. After thanking the driver, they huffed and puffed as they carried the goods into the courtyard.

Thanks to the years spent working in the fields, despite her seemingly delicate frame, the original owner possessed considerable strength in her arms and legs. Lin Qingxu grabbed a twenty-pound sack of rice and dashed toward the house, feeling an exhilarating sense of pride as if she were imbued with divine strength!

Lin Qingwan, unwilling to be outdone, carried two heavy wooden boxes, charging after her with determined intensity!

As Lin Qingxu entered the house, she made a point to observe the crafty, chatterbox red rooster’s whereabouts. Noticing it nestled in the corner of the courtyard, proudly interacting with a few plump hens, she felt a wave of relief and quickly dashed toward the kitchen.

Her commotion startled the red rooster making its feathers stand on end!

With a quick turn, it chased after Lin Qingwan who was behind her.

“Ah! You sneaky little pest!”

Lin Qingwan exclaimed, scolding the rooster. Gripping the boxes tightly, she spun around and delivered a swift kick toward the offending bird.

The red rooster took a step back, narrowly avoiding the kick. Unfortunately, its beak hurt from the earlier bump causing it to bent its neck to peck at the ground a couple of times. After casting a wary glance at the hefty wooden boxes in Lin Qingwan’s arms, it decided to raise the white flag for today!

Lin Qingwan laughed triumphantly. “Ha! You think you can challenge me, you little troublemaker? You’re just not ready for this!”

Meanwhile, Lin Qingxu who had already put the sack of rice away and felt light as a feather, thought to herself that those two boxes weren’t heavy enough after all.

The commotion in the Lin family courtyard successfully drew out their neighbor, Aunt Zhao.

In the village, relationships among families were solid even if they weren’t always outwardly friendly.

Aunt Zhao lent a hand, helping to carry items into the house. Fang Xiu, meanwhile, opened a bag of sunflower seeds she had just bought and formally invited her to sit and chat under the eaves.

Aunt Zhao was just the typical farmer’s wife, and unlike the Lin family who struggled with a meager plot of land, the Zhao family owned dozens of acres. Moreover, with others encouraging them to cultivate trees on the mountain, Aunt Zhao’s husband had also invested in it, leading to a decent living for their family in the village.

Lin Qingxu sat beside them watching as Aunt Zhao’s hand went down into the bag of seeds, creating a deep pit. She felt a stiffness in her expression and quickly averted her gaze.

In the original owner’s memories, apart from Fang Xiu and Lin Qingwan, most of the other villagers were vague figures. However, due to the proximity of the Zhao family, Lin Qingxu managed to piece together a few details.

Aunt Zhao was known for her fertility, having given birth to two sons which solidified her standing in the farming community where having male heirs was highly valued.

When Lin Fu was still alive, Aunt Zhao looked down on Lin Qingxu and Lin Qingwan from the bottom of her heart.

However, at that time, Lin Fu was the only teacher in the village, and Aunt Zhao didn’t want her sons to remain illiterate, so she had to keep her thoughts to herself.

After Lin Fu passed away, the weight on her heart lifted and she began to consider her options.

Living next door, Aunt Zhao wasn’t foolish enough to openly mock them. Instead, she pretended to be kind, sharing her “heartfelt” advice with Fang Xiu.

She would say things like how Fang Xiu was still young, burdened with two financial liabilities, one of whom was a fool, and questioned how they would get by in the future.

“Why not take advantage of your youth and remarry someone wealthy? Even if you have to be a concubine, your life would be better than this! And if you have a son, you’ll secure your position!”

As for what to do with the two burdens? Why worry about it? If they could be married off to another family that would be ideal. If not, she could generously give them a few coins to get by; after all, they would eventually belong to someone else.

Fang Xiu treated outsiders with a warmth that made her seem like a ray of sunshine. However, when angered, she could cut right to the heart and leave you feeling cold. Upon hearing Aunt Zhao’s comments, she was unable to remain calm and ended up in a fierce argument with her!

Fang Xiu was well-educated, and her arguments were structured and coherent with no repetition in her words. In contrast, Aunt Zhao was barely literate and couldn’t hold her ground.

After being thoroughly insulted, Aunt Zhao left in a huff.

For the next two to three years, the two families maintained a mutual disdain for one another, until Aunt Zhao learned of Fang Xiu’s connections with the Su family in town and was shocked to hear that her foolish daughter was engaged to the young master of the Su family!

At this point, Aunt Zhao couldn’t sit still.

The Su family was a well-known wealthy merchant family in town. They not only owned shops in the town but also had businesses in several nearby cities. It was said that the income from just one of their stores could sustain them for a lifetime, highlighting their status in the town.

For a farming family relying on the sale of agricultural products, angering the Su family could mean disaster. Realizing this, Aunt Zhao quickly decided to mend fences and sought to curry favor with Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu was mild-mannered and didn’t hold grudges but she wasn’t someone who easily forgot kindness either. Aunt Zhao’s attempts to please her were met with minimal response.

Aunt Zhao didn’t push too hard, reasoning that as long as the two families didn’t become enemies, it wouldn’t threaten the Zhao family’s interests. She made a point of visiting occasionally to maintain her presence.

“You really are lucky, having two beautiful daughters.” Aunt Zhao remarked, munching on sunflower seeds, the shells flying out of her mouth.

Lin Qingxu remained indifferent while Lin Qingwan was much more expressive, turning her head away to show Aunt Zhao the back of her head in silent protest.

Aunt Zhao’s face stiffened, and seeing that Fang Xiu made no move to smooth things over, she forced a laugh and tried to change the topic. “Everyone in the neighboring villages is talking about Ah Wan being chosen—it really brings you honor!”

This time, Fang Xiu replied with a cold tone. “There’s nothing honorable about it. Her abilities are her own, nothing to do with me.”

Aunt Zhao was visibly taken aback, her face turning pale, then red as she fought to keep her temper in check.

“I heard Ah Xu’s mind has recovered. Seeing her now, it really seems true!” Aunt Zhao tried again, attempting to steer the conversation to safer ground.

Fang Xiu’s reply was even more curt this time.

“Yes.”

Lin Qingxu and Lin Qingwan, listening to the exchange were barely containing their laughter, veins popping on their foreheads as they fought to keep a straight face.

By this point, even Aunt Zhao’s thick skin could only take so much.

“Well, I just remembered I have some chores waiting for me at home, so I won’t disturb you three any longer.” Aunt Zhao stood up, brushing away the sunflower seed shells that covered her lap, but she lingered, clearly waiting to be seen off.

Fang Xiu lifted her gaze slightly. “Take care.”

Aunt Zhao’s forced smile finally crumbled as she strode toward the door. Halfway there, though, she suddenly paused as if remembering something.

A looming figure stood pointedly within their line of sight, making it impossible for Lin Qingxu to ignore.

Seeing the three pairs of eyes fixed on her, Aunt Zhao cleared her throat, trying to recover some semblance of dignity. “Oh, I just remembered—the girl from the Cui family came by looking for you earlier. She couldn’t find you, so she asked me to tell you she’ll come by again in the morning.”

Fang Xiu recognized the Cui girl and knew she was likely coming to ask for embroidery tips.

She gave a slight nod, expression unchanged. “Thank you. I’ll be here.”

Though Fang Xiu’s response was still cold, Aunt Zhao took it as acknowledgment, feeling a bit reassured. With her confidence somewhat restored, she walked briskly toward the door.

Unfortunately, her exit didn’t go as planned. Just before she could reach the door, the ever-disgruntled Red Feather leapt up and pecked her sharply.

“Ah—! You wretched chicken! How dare you peck me! I’ll kill you!”

Aunt Zhao, a master at wielding her shoe, didn’t waste a second. Lin Qingxu barely had time to register her furious shout before the shoe had already been launched through the air.

Red Feather, having battled Lin Qingwan countless times, didn’t even dignify such a low-level projectile with a reaction.

With a flap of its wings, it sidestepped nimbly, easily dodging the incoming shoe.

Seeing Aunt Zhao fuming, ready to remove her remaining shoe for another attempt, Fang Xiu called out just in time, “Aunt Zhao—”

Aunt Zhao froze, her senses snapping back into place.

Lin Qingxu and Lin Qingwan watched as the plump Aunt Zhao hunched over, crept into the chicken coop to retrieve her flung shoe, and then scurried back to her own yard. That did it—they burst into laughter.

Lin Qingxu was practically shaking from laughing so hard; she’d never seen anything like this! Aunt Zhao seemed intent on tossing her pride at their feet, hoping Fang Xiu would eventually stamp out her last bit of courage, leaving her with no choice but to retreat.

Fang Xiu watched them double over with laughter, a hint of amusement on her lips as she huffed. “Take notes, you two—don’t act like a pair of fools!”

Lin Qingxu and Lin Qingwan immediately nodded like bobbleheads.

Mom was fierce!

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