Chapter 4: The Bad Woman is Leaving

“What are you trying to do again?”

Seeing his sister cry, Xiao Lei glared at Su Luoluo. His small face was flushed red with anger.

Even the house opposite lit up an oil lamp; that was the eldest sister-in-law’s house.

The eldest sister-in-law was gentle and virtuous, but she was weak in body and spirit. The original owner was vicious and shrewish. Because the eldest sister-in-law pitied the three children, she secretly helped them. When the original owner found out, she not only scolded the eldest sister-in-law with harsh words but also pushed her to the ground.

After several times, the eldest sister-in-law completely dared not interfere with her affairs, acting around her all day, trying to avoid meeting her.

Now that the oil lamp was lit, it was also because she was worried about the three children, worried that Su Luoluo would do something excessive to them.

Su Luoluo knew that the two older children were more difficult to handle, so she could only target Niuniu.

Although Xiao Lei was only six years old, he had suffered much hardship and was precocious, thoughtful, and wary of others.

Although Xiao Fan was timid, he followed his brother wholeheartedly and was also wary of outsiders.

Only Niuniu was young, ignorant, and greedy, making her easier to coax.

Su Luoluo squatted down, smiled, extended her hand to Niuniu, and softly coaxed, “Niuniu, come here. I’ll give you meat tomorrow.”

Meat!

Niuniu, like a small gas canister, stretched out her small hand to wipe away her tears. She often saw Xiao Pang eat meat, and it smelled so good. She had only eaten meat during the New Year from her great-aunt, and it was delicious.

Niuniu’s face showed longing, and she was about to run over with her short legs when Xiao Lei suddenly pulled her back.

“If you want to hit someone, hit me. My sister is still young.”

He glared fiercely at Su Luoluo, his eyes filled with hatred.

The bad woman hid a fire poker behind the door, made of iron, which hurt when it hit people.

The original owner was truly vicious. Once, because Niuniu blocked her path, she kicked the two-year-old Niuniu away. Fortunately, it was soft grass, so Niuniu was unharmed.

The original owner did nothing good.

Su Luoluo facepalmed.

The meat was too tempting for Niuniu. She stretched out her small arm, timidly looking at Su Luoluo, “Pinch, pinch, pinch me.”

The original owner often pinched Niuniu to vent her anger, leaving bruises all over the little baby.

What a sin.

Su Luoluo’s smile froze.

Seeing that the three little ones were really afraid of her, Su Luoluo decided to give up.

Forget it, she would wait until the three little ones fell asleep before carrying them back to the room.

As soon as Su Luoluo stood up, Niuniu pushed away her brother’s arm, flapped her short legs, and trotted towards her, grabbing Su Luoluo’s pants with her small claws, “Meat, pinch.”

Xiao Niuniu was clearly scared, but she still plucked up her courage, pulled up her sleeve, revealing her tender little arm, closed her eyes in fear, and let Su Luoluo pinch her.

What a silly girl.

“No pinching. Go back to bed.”

Su Luoluo touched the little baby’s smooth arm, picked her up, and turned back to the room.

Xiao Lei and Xiao Fan looked at each other. They were worried about Niuniu being with the bad woman, so they followed into the room.

Su Luoluo put Xiao Niuniu on the bed.

Niuniu sat on the bed, her childish face still dazed, tilting her little head as if looking at Su Luoluo in puzzlement.

Su Luoluo covered Niuniu with the quilt and pressed her down on the bed.

She slept hugging the soft little person.

Xiao Lei dragged a worn straw mat to make a bed on the empty ground in front of the bed, and the two brothers huddled together to keep each other warm.

Su Luoluo didn’t stop them, lest the two brothers think she had bad intentions.

After the two brothers fell asleep, Su Luoluo took a quilt from the wardrobe and covered the two children.

The next morning, Su Luoluo opened her eyes and looked at the spiderwebs on the ceiling beams. She still hadn’t been able to return to her own world.

If she couldn’t go back, she would have to live her own life well.

Thinking of last night’s dinner, her face turned pale. She had to improve the family’s conditions first.

The three children were already awake. They were very sensible. Xiao Fan swept the floor with a broom, Xiao Lei carried water to water the vegetables in the yard, and Niuniu helped Xiao Fan carry the dustpan to collect garbage.

After Su Luoluo washed up, there was a knock at the door.

Zhu Yanhua, the eldest sister-in-law, was about to open the door when she saw Su Luoluo in the yard and immediately retreated into the house.

She really acted like a mouse seeing a cat.

Su Luoluo could only go out to open the door.

Mrs. Wu stood at the door, carrying a bamboo basket. Seeing that the red rash on Su Luoluo’s face seemed to have lessened and the blisters had also subsided, she was stunned.

“What’s this…?”

Su Luoluo was full of doubts. The two-year-old should be fine.

“I’m here to thank you for saving my Xiao Tiezhu.”

Mrs. Wu handed the basket to Su Luoluo. Inside were five eggs and a small bag of cloud cakes.

Although Su Luoluo wasn’t a good person, she had saved her Xiao Tiezhu yesterday, so she still had to come and thank her.

“You’re too kind.”

Su Luoluo said this, but her movements in taking the basket were not hesitant at all. She was worried about not having breakfast.

Mrs. Wu didn’t have much to say to Su Luoluo. After giving her the things, she left.

The three little ones saw the bad woman making egg custard in the kitchen and their eyes widened, but they didn’t dare to approach, afraid of being beaten.

Xiao Lei saw that the bad woman used five eggs. His face was full of heartache. Eating five eggs at once, the bad woman was so wasteful.

Although Niuniu didn’t dare to come forward, she put her hands on the wall by the door, gazing longingly inside, occasionally swallowing her saliva.

Su Luoluo made five servings of egg custard and brought out three bowls.

“Come and eat breakfast.”

She said to the three little ones who didn’t dare to come forward.

Xiao Lei and Xiao Fan looked at Su Luoluo in shock. They thought the bad woman would eat three bowls of egg custard, but it was actually for them. When did she become so kind?

The two older ones were still suspicious of Su Luoluo’s intentions.

Xiao Niuniu couldn’t resist her cravings anymore and trotted over, poking her little hand, her face timid, “Give, give Niuniu some?”

“Yes, no meat, eat egg custard first.”

Su Luoluo pulled over a chair, hugged Niuniu up, and put her at the dining table.

Xiao Niuniu grabbed the spoon with her small claws and scooped up the egg custard to put it in her mouth. Su Luoluo quickly grabbed her small hand to stop her.

Xiao Niuniu looked disappointed when she couldn’t eat it.

“It’s hot. You have to blow it a few times before you can eat it.”

Su Luoluo smiled and pinched Niuniu’s little face. What a little glutton.

Xiao Niuniu first looked at her with bewildered big eyes, then lowered her head and tentatively puffed her little mouth, blowing hard three times at the egg custard in the spoon, turning her head to look at Su Luoluo.

“Good job.”

Su Luoluo praised her.

After receiving the praise, Xiao Niuniu grinned, opened her mouth wide, “Ah-woo,” and put the egg custard in the spoon into her mouth.

Then she widened her eyes. It was so delicious!

Even without meat, she was happy to eat egg custard.

Xiao Lei and Xiao Fan looked like they had seen a ghost. The bad woman actually gave them such a good thing as egg custard. If they hadn’t seen her make it with their own eyes, they would have suspected that she had poisoned the egg custard.

This vicious woman had always hoped for their death so she could get rid of them.

“Delicious, so delicious!”

Xiao Niuniu happily shook her short legs.

She turned to her two brothers and happily shouted, “Gege, come quickly, it’s super delicious!”

Seeing that Su Luoluo didn’t stop them, Xiao Lei and Xiao Fan went over and cautiously sat down.

Xiao Lei tentatively brought the egg custard to his face. The bad woman hadn’t gotten angry yet. He scooped up a small spoonful of egg custard and ate it. Hmm… it was delicious.

Eggs were rare in the countryside, but not for Su Luoluo.

Su Luoluo ate two pieces of cloud cake and told Xiao Lei to take the two bowls of egg custard in the pot to the eldest sister-in-law and grandmother. Then she went out.

Xiao Fan turned to Xiao Lei, silently asking what was wrong with the bad woman?

“The bad woman is leaving.”

Xiao Lei furrowed his little eyebrows. He had seen the suitcase yesterday.

She was going to abandon them and run away, not wanting to raise them, these burdens, anymore.

Let her run. She wasn’t their real mother, and she often beat and scolded them, not being good to them at all.

If she ran away, they would live better.

“I’ll take the egg custard to Great-aunt.”

Xiao Lei got off the chair and walked towards the kitchen.

Su Luoluo walked towards the back mountain.

There were many treasures in the mountains. Logically, many people should go into the mountains, but they didn’t, because there were tigers and bears, man-eating beasts, in the mountains.

Half a month ago, someone in the village was eaten by a tiger, and they hadn’t even gone into the mountains, only to the foot of the mountain.

But Su Luoluo wasn’t afraid. Carrying a bamboo basket and a sickle, she went into the mountains.

It would be foolish not to pick up treasures!