Chapter 4: Returning to Her Mother’s Home

Qin Sui’s three children were surprised and delighted. Their stepmother actually dared to serve them food?

Grandma said she was a wicked stepmother, didn’t she?

The three children didn’t quite understand Lin Su, but it didn’t stop them from eating happily.

“You’ve gone too far! You and those three little brats have eaten all the meat. What are we supposed to eat?”  Qin’s mother reacted angrily and slammed the table.

Lin Su innocently said, “Didn’t Dad tell me not to be so formal?”

Qin’s father: “…”

You’re way too informal!

Qin’s mother glared resentfully at Qin’s father, then continued to target Lin Su: “Is this how you act informally? Your father hasn’t even eaten, and you’ve already given away the meat. Go ask around and see if any other daughter-in-law is as unfilial as you!”

Lin Su said calmly, “Mother, you’re wronging me. First, it was Dad who told me not to be so formal. Second, the meat at home was leftover from the banquet, right? Qin Sui paid for the banquet, right? His money, his meat, what’s wrong with his wife and children eating it?”

“Or is it that only you and Big Brother are worthy of eating meat? We’re not? Then I’ll have to send a telegram to ask Qin Sui.”

Hearing that Lin Su was going to report them, Qin’s father glared at Qin’s mother: “All right, it’s eaten, so what’s the big deal!”

Qin’s mother was like a lit firecracker, just smoking without exploding, so suffocated that her whole face turned red with anger.

Having lost the battle again, Qin’s mother vented her anger on the three “debt collectors.” After dinner, she said with a cold face: “Qin Yao, wash the dishes. Qin Ni, feed the chickens. Make sure everything is clean!”

Qin Yao and Qin Ni, as usual, went to work with numb expressions without saying a word.

Lin Su watched from the side. Seeing that Qin’s eldest brother’s children were just playing around without doing anything, she quickly stopped them.

“Mother, you’re already being biased, why are you treating them differently?”

Qin’s mother glanced at her sideways: “The eldest brother’s children are going to town to see their aunt. Their aunt is the wife of the factory director.”

“Oh,” Lin Su reacted indifferently, “In that case, Qin Yao, you don’t have to work either. I’ll take you to see someone too.”

Qin Yao and Qin Ni looked back at her but didn’t listen to her, continuing to work.

Qin’s mother picked up her words: “See who?”

“My grandmother, who else?”

Qin’s mother gave her a speechless look, “What’s there to see? You’re not allowed to go.”

“I’m going.” Lin Su pulled Qin Yao, who was cleaning up the dishes, wiping his hands with a handkerchief, and then pulled Qin Ni.

Qin’s mother was furious and walked over in a few steps, “There’s no such thing as a new daughter-in-law going back to her mother’s home on the first day. You’re not allowed to go!”

Lin Su thought she was going to start a fight, so she immediately lay down, “I can’t breathe.  Ugh, my head suddenly feels so dizzy…”

Qin’s mother: “?!”

Qin’s father watched the whole thing from the side, annoyed: “Why are you provoking her!”

Qin’s mother had nothing to say.

She was afraid of Lin Su. This woman was a troublemaker, thick-skinned, and couldn’t be beaten or scolded.

After a while, Qin Yao looked at Lin Su still lying on the ground and nudged Qin Ni, signaling her to call her up. However, the latter was completely indifferent.

Helpless and disgusted, Qin Yao had to kick Lin Su with his foot: “Grandma and Grandpa have already left.”

Hearing this, Lin Su quickly opened her eyes, patted the dust off her body as if nothing had happened, calmly picked up Qin Keke, who couldn’t walk steadily, pulled Qin Ni, and led Qin Yao out of the Qin family’s gate.

Along the way, seeing Lin Su like a victorious general, Qin Yao was a little impressed by her.

She dared to confront her grandmother and win. She was the first stepmother to do so. However, she was so powerful. If she bullied them, it would be even easier for her.

Thinking of this, Qin Yao’s face turned colder, and his pace slowed down a bit. He didn’t really want to go back with her.

Lin Su noticed that he was falling behind and was about to ask when several children suddenly ran over from a distance.

“Wow, wow, wow, the mute and the fool are out, and there’s a stutterer too, hahaha.”

“Little mute, little fool, little stutterer.”

“Beat them, they’re spies!”

“Beat, beat, beat!”

The bully children were used to bullying Qin Yao and the others. As soon as they saw them come out, they rushed over to laugh at them and threw stones at them.

Qin Yao was used to it, but he still felt disgusted.

When he saw a stone flying towards him, Qin Yao was about to dodge when a slender body suddenly shielded him.

The small stones didn’t weigh much, but they still hurt when they hit.

Seeing Qin Yao’s skilled dodging movements, it was clear that he had been hit many times. Lin Su felt a little distressed and even angrier at the children’s behavior.

“What are you doing! Do you know that throwing stones at people is wrong?”

“Also, who let you give others nicknames? Whose children are you? I’m going to report you to your parents and teachers.”

The unfamiliar face made the children more vigilant. Hearing that Lin Su was going to report them to the teacher, after making a face at Lin Su, they ran away giggling.

Seeing that the bullies had run away, Lin Su muttered that they deserved a beating, skillfully picked up Qin Keke, and pulled Qin Ni with her other hand.

Qin Yao stared blankly at Lin Su’s back.

How long had it been since he had been protected like this?

Qin Yao couldn’t remember.

When their mother was still alive, they had been protected, but no one had protected them like this since their mother died.

Thinking of his mother, and then thinking of Lin Su, who had taken his mother’s place, Qin Yao’s softening heart hardened again. Seeing his younger siblings in her hands, he could only chase after her with a cold face.

…

After finishing her housework, Grandma Lin had nothing to do. As soon as she was free, she started to miss her granddaughter. Just as she was thinking about it, she saw Lin Su leading the three children into the yard.

“Grandma, I’m back.” Lin Su saw her and called out first.

Grandma Lin welcomed her with surprise and joy, “Why are you back?”

Seeing the three children, guessing they were Qin Sui’s, Grandma Lin asked, “Why did you bring them all here?”

Lin Su smiled, “I was afraid you’d be lonely, so I brought them here to keep you company.”

Knowing that she wasn’t telling the truth, Grandma Lin didn’t ask further, but smiled kindly at the three children, “Good kids, come in quickly, Grandma will make you some malt extract to drink.”

Hearing that there was malt extract to drink, the three children’s mouths watered, but they were wary of being in their stepmother’s house, so no one spoke for a while.

Qin Keke wasn’t used to being held by Lin Su and forcefully twisted out of Lin Su’s arms. Qin Yao skillfully held him in his arms, and Qin Ni nestled beside Qin Yao. The three children looked around vigilantly, like little wolves constantly on guard in unfamiliar territory.

Lin Su watched and laughed. Grandma Lin scolded her, “Quickly let them come inside.”

“Here, come inside and drink malt extract.” Lin Su said.

No one answered.

The three children were still standing in the yard, their eyes looking everywhere but not at Lin Su.

Lin Su felt helpless and said to Grandma Lin, “They don’t listen to me.”

With no choice, Grandma Lin had to do it herself.

She could see that the three children clearly didn’t like Su Su, their stepmother, and even disliked her a little.

They say being a stepmother is difficult. Su Su will have a lot of work to do in the future, and she will have to help her ease the relationship.

“It’s cold outside, Big Brother, quickly bring your younger siblings inside. Grandma will make you some malt extract.”

After Grandma Lin finished speaking, no one answered.  She had no choice but to pull Qin Yao inside.

Once Qin Yao went inside, Qin Ni would follow.

Grandma Lin’s face was kind and amiable, which made Qin Yao’s vigilance towards her slightly relaxed. After a moment of hesitation, he still went inside with Grandma Lin’s help.

After entering the house, Qin Yao secretly warned his younger siblings, “Don’t drink her malt extract. Don’t forget she’s a wicked stepmother. Her malt extract must be poisonous.”

Qin Ni and Qin Keke nodded obediently.

However, when the sweet-smelling malt extract was brought out, Qin Ni and Qin Keke’s eyes immediately stuck to it.

Qin Ni had been scared of hunger and had become extremely fond of food, while Qin Keke was too young and didn’t have as much self-control as Qin Yao.  Plus, he had been tempted by malt extract by his uncle’s children for a long time, so he had no resistance to malt extract, and even had a kind of obsession.

Both of them forgot Qin Yao’s words and focused on the malt extract in Grandma Lin’s hand.

Grandma Lin used cups to make it. After picking up the cups, she handed them to the youngest, Qin Keke, first. The latter couldn’t help but reach out to take it, but his hand was knocked aside by Qin Yao.

“Don’t take it!”

Qin Keke was hurt and hungry, and closed his eyes and cried loudly.

Qin Yao frowned, looking at him crying.

Grandma Lin looked at Qin Yao disapprovingly, “How can you hit your younger brother?”

Qin Yao ignored her.

Lin Su saw something and bent down to look at Qin Yao, “Are you afraid that I’ll poison it? Or are you simply not eating anything from my house?”

Lin Su’s eyes were beautiful, as if they had a special magic, making people unconsciously relax their guard.

Qin Yao was slightly stunned, but then frowned and avoided her gaze.

Lin Su didn’t get angry but drank all three cups of malt extract and then said to Grandma Lin, “Grandma, you take out the malt extract and make it in front of them.”

Grandma Lin sighed and did as she was told.

Lin Su continued, “This isn’t my malt extract, it’s your father’s. If you don’t drink it, it’ll be wasted.”

After saying that, Lin Su walked out.

With her not around, the three children weren’t so tense.

After Grandma Lin remade the malt extract in front of them, Qin Keke, with teary eyes, looked at Qin Yao first. Qin Ni didn’t reach for it either, waiting for Qin Yao’s permission.

Qin Yao pursed his lips and finally reached out to take the malt extract that Grandma Lin handed him, giving it to his younger brother first, then his sister, and finally himself.

Seeing them drink so quickly, Grandma Lin said lovingly, “There’s more, more. Drink slowly. After you finish, Grandma will make you some more.”

The three children were busy drinking malt extract and didn’t pay attention to her.

Thinking that this was malt extract bought by their father, with a hint of resentment, Qin Yao finished his and avoided Grandma Lin’s outstretched hand, making his own malt extract.

After his younger siblings finished, he refilled their cups.

Seeing them drink cup after cup, Grandma Lin was afraid they would get full, wanting to say something but afraid to say it.

She was afraid that if she said something, it would make the sensitive Qin Yao think she was stingy, and then their relationship with Su Su would become even more strained.

Afraid they would drink themselves sick, Grandma Lin had to call Lin Su.

Lin Su looked at Qin Yao helplessly, “There’s meat your father bought for dinner later. Will you be able to eat it if you drink your fill now?”

Qin Yao thought it made sense, so he stopped, and didn’t let his younger siblings, who were obviously full, continue drinking.

For the first time, they drank malt extract until they were full. Qin Ni and Qin Keke were still a little unsatisfied, but they listened to Qin Yao and obediently put down their cups.

Looking at the three children with a strong milky scent, Lin Su’s lips curled into a slight smile.

The three children had different personalities. In her initial impression, the eldest, Qin Yao, was silent and taciturn, precocious for his age, with a gloominess that didn’t match his age.

He was clearly the leader among the three children, and the second and third children listened to him. During this time, Lin Su could feel that Qin Yao had the most hostility towards her.

The second child, Qin Ni, was an even more silent child than Qin Yao. In the half-day they spent together, she didn’t say a word, quietly without a sense of presence.

Her hair was dry and messy, and the child without a mother couldn’t even braid her hair properly.

And the third child, Qin Keke, was the one she had contacted first. He was small but shrewd and couldn’t resist sweets.

Thinking of this, Lin Su used malt extract to lure him.

“Keke, we have to stay here for one night. After dinner, will you sleep with me? I’ll make you some malt extract.”

As soon as Lin Su finished speaking, Qin Yao pulled Qin Keke over, staring at her with the eyes of a child catcher, looking vigilant, like a puffed-up cat.