Zhang Zhongxin watched as Pipi’s face was scratched several times by Zhang Yaozu. Yaozu showed no regard for Pipi being his own brother, while Pipi held back from retaliating harshly, leaving him at a disadvantage in the scuffle.  

Zhongxin quickly stepped forward, pulling the two boys apart with each hand.  

Pipi’s face was flushed red with anger, and he bellowed like an enraged calf, “Yaozu, give my sister back her candy!”  

Zhang Yaozu, guilt written all over his face, stubbornly denied it: “I didn’t take it! This is mine!”  

Zhang Zhongxin frowned. “How could it be yours? You already ate your share inside the house. This belongs to Doudou—give it back to her!”  

Jiang Weihong, now holding Doudou in her arms, brushed the dirt off her clothes. Doudou’s sobs had quieted slightly, but her voice was still thick with grievance: “Wuwu… my candy…”  

She had been reluctant to eat the candy, treasuring it so she could share it with her good friend Lingling. Last time, when Lingling’s family had cooked meat, Lingling had secretly given her a piece to eat.  

But now, all the candy had been snatched away by Zhang Yaozu. Doudou had clung tightly to it, refusing to let go, but Yaozu had shoved her hard.  

At just six years old, Doudou was the youngest in the family, while Yaozu was already eight. The second branch of the family doted on him, feeding him all the best things until he was round as a ball and strong enough to knock Doudou to the ground with one push.  

When Pipi heard the commotion and rushed over, seeing his little sister bullied, he immediately tangled with Yaozu.  

“This is mine, it’s mine!” Zhang Yaozu shouted. “Why should a worthless girl get to eat candy?”  

Jiang Weihong was stunned by his words and snapped furiously, “Is this how Tian Meihua usually teaches her child?”  

Zhang Zhongxin was also at a loss for words. He had always thought this nephew was just overly mischievous, but now it was clear he’d been thoroughly spoiled!  

“What did you just say? Say that again—what ‘worthless girl’?!” Zhang Zhongxin was so furious he momentarily forgot Yaozu was just a child.  

“I won’t give it back, I won’t!” Zhang Yaozu showed no fear. He stuffed the two pieces of candy into his mouth, licked them, then stuck out his tongue before suddenly bursting into tears like a switch had been flipped. “Wuwu… Mom! Third Uncle and Aunt are bullying me! Wuwu…”  

Tian Meihua, who had been as still as death while Doudou cried, suddenly charged out like a cannonball the moment her son wailed. She shoved Zhang Zhongxin aside and started cursing, “Zhongxin, what are you doing? You’re a grown man bullying a child—have you no shame?!”  

Zhang Zhongxin, unwilling to argue with his sister-in-law, could only stand there red-faced with anger.  

“How is this bullying? I already gave your Yaozu two pieces of candy, and he still stole Doudou’s! Doudou is his cousin—how could he do that?” Jiang Weihong motioned for Zhongxin to step aside and confronted Tian Meihua herself. “Second Sister-in-law, I’ll call you that out of respect. I just want to ask—how have you raised your child? Calling my Doudou a ‘worthless girl’—isn’t that insulting you too? Aren’t you a woman?”  

Tian Meihua felt a pang of guilt but refused to back down, stiffening her neck as she retorted, “She is worthless! I gave birth to a son—I’m not worthless!”  

“Tian Meihua, you’ve gone too far!” Mother Zhang, having listened long enough, finally emerged from her room.

The eldest son’s family also came out. Liu Chunfang glanced at the candy in her own three children’s hands and thought about Zhang Yaozu’s usual behavior. Even she could figure out what had happened.  

“Mom…” Tian Meihua was startled, realizing she had misspoken, and quickly added, “That’s not what I meant.”  

“It’s all because of the third brother’s family. They gave Yaozu two pieces of candy, but now they’re saying Yaozu snatched them from Doudou. Look, Yaozu only has two candies—how could he have taken Doudou’s?” Tian Meihua ignored the truth and only spun the story in her favor. “The third brother’s family is really something. If they didn’t want to give the candy, they shouldn’t have. Now they’re using Doudou as an excuse to take it back. If they want it, fine, but they can’t wrong my Yaozu! He’s only eight—how could he possibly lie?”  

If Jiang Le had been there, hearing this classic line, he probably wouldn’t have been able to hold back a laugh.  

Mother Zhang knew exactly what had happened, but family matters weren’t court cases. She turned to Zhang Zhongxin. “Third Son, you’ve always been honest and don’t lie. I believe you. Tell me, what really happened?”  

“Mom, these candies really were Doudou’s,” Zhang Zhongxin said, unable to bear seeing his daughter wronged. “Weihong gave each child two candies, divided fairly. Yaozu ate his two right away. Fine, he ate them—it’s not like he didn’t get any. But then he went and snatched Doudou’s too!”  

Mother Zhang then turned to Doudou and asked gently, “Doudou, tell Grandma what happened.”  

Doudou pouted, looking wronged. “Grandma, Yaozu took my candy, pushed me, and said, ‘What does a girl need candy for? As long as you don’t starve, that’s enough.’ He also called me a ‘money-losing goods.’ Grandma, what does ‘money-losing goods’ mean?”  

Despite her young age, Doudou was sharp—no one knew where she got it from. She knew “money-losing goods” wasn’t a nice term and deliberately repeated it.  

Sure enough, Mother Zhang was furious when she heard such words from a little child. “Tian Meihua!”  

Tian Meihua trembled. “Mom, Doudou’s lying…”  

“Lying? How?” Mother Zhang snapped. “Like you said, she’s only six—how could she lie?!”  

Tian Meihua was instantly silenced by her own words.  

“You’re getting more and more outrageous!” Mother Zhang was genuinely angry this time. “Weihong gave Yaozu his share of candy, and after eating his own, he went and took his little cousin’s—this is the kind of child you’re raising?!”  

Tian Meihua muttered, “She only gave two pieces—how stingy…”  

“What did you just say?” Mother Zhang was livid. “How dare you say that? Did you think I wouldn’t notice? The pastries you brought from your parents’ house—not only did the kids from the eldest and third son’s families not get any, even I, your mother-in-law, never saw a crumb! Did I say anything? But Weihong showed me everything she brought back! Zhonghai, I won’t say anything about you prioritizing your own family, but Yaozu is your son too. Are you just going to let Tian Meihua, this troublemaker, raise him like this?!”  

Zhang Zhonghai was left red-faced, stammering for a long time without managing a response.  

“Tian Meihua, I don’t know how your mother raised you, but did she teach you to marry into a family and stir up endless trouble?” Zhang’s mother glared at Tian Meihua, who still looked defiant. “As your mother-in-law, I can’t discipline you, and it’s not my place to say much. But if this continues, you can go back to your parents’ house and let your mother teach you properly!”  

At this, Tian Meihua broke out in a cold sweat. “Mom, I was wrong! I’m really sorry!”  

If she were sent back to her parents house in disgrace, the whole village would laugh at her.

And her younger brother—he wasn’t married yet. If this affected his chances of finding a wife, her parents would never let her off the hook!  

“Mom, I was just being foolish. If I go back to my parents, what will happen to Pandi, Zhaodi, and Yaozu?” Now, Tian Meihua suddenly remembered her two daughters.  

Tian Meihua’s parents were just as patriarchal as she was, but she had always been quick with sweet words, charming her parents into favoring her over her older sister. That was why she’d had a relatively easier life in the Tian family.  

But one thing was clear—if she so much as inconvenienced her parents’ precious son, they’d turn on her in an instant.  

Even if she were sent back in disgrace, they wouldn’t stand up for her. Instead, they’d see her as a humiliation. She absolutely could not go back!  

“Their grandmother isn’t dead yet! If you leave, I’ll take care of them. If you don’t know how to raise children, I will!” Mother Zhang was determined to teach Tian Meihua a lesson this time.  

Nearby, Liu Chunfang watched with lingering fear. Thankfully, she had only ever muttered a few complaints before and never joined Tian Meihua in stirring up trouble.  

Besides, she couldn’t stand Zhang Yaozu. At just eight years old, he was already a spoiled little tyrant. Though she was the eldest sister-in-law, Tian Meihua never treated her with respect, so she had no say in the matter. Now that Mother Zhang was finally stepping in to discipline them, Liu Chunfang couldn’t help but feel satisfied.  

And what was this nonsense about girls being “money-losing goods”? Liu Chunfang had daughters of her own—she couldn’t stand hearing that kind of talk. She used to think Tian Meihua was clever and had even admired her, but now she realized Tian Meihua was even stupider than she was!  

How could anyone treat their own children so unequally?  

Liu Chunfang curled her lip but didn’t dare try to persuade Mother Zhang to go easy on Tian Meihua.  

As for Jiang Weihong and Zhang Zhongxin, they certainly weren’t going to intervene either. Their daughter Doudou still had tears on her little face, and their son Pipi’s cheeks were scratched up—yet the boy hadn’t made a sound. It was heartbreaking to see.  

Far from speaking up for Tian Meihua, Jiang Weihong was practically itching to claw her face herself.  

“Mom, I was really wrong. I won’t dare do it again,” Tian Meihua pleaded, her face deathly pale as she saw Mother Zhang’s unrelenting expression. She looked like she was about to faint.  

Zhang Zhonghai, watching from the side, couldn’t bear it. Hesitantly, he tried to mediate, “Mom, just let it go this time. She’s really learned her lesson.”  

Mother Zhang remained silent.  

Gritting her teeth, Tian Meihua turned to Zhang Yaozu, who was still licking his candy, and—forcing herself—slapped him. “Zhang Yaozu! Who told you to steal your cousin’s candy? Apologize to her right now!”  

Yaozu was stunned. His mother had never hit him before in his life! Spoiled rotten, he didn’t reflect on his actions at all—instead, he decided his mother had betrayed him and sided with the others.  

“I didn’t steal! These are MY candies!” he screamed, shoving Tian Meihua away with his sticky hands before running back to his room, sobbing. “You’re all bad people! Meanies!”  

Mother Zhang frowned deeply. If Yaozu wasn’t straightened out soon, he’d grow up completely ruined.