Chapter 15: Rumors

For a moment, both of them froze.

Grandma Lin was holding the second and third children by the hand. Seeing that they weren’t moving, she asked, “Why are you stopping? Hurry up, the three children are very sleepy.”

With no choice, Qin Sui had to keep this posture and carry her forward.

To avoid her calling him a pervert, Qin Sui changed to using the back of his hand and quickened his pace, reaching their destination in just three minutes.

After arriving home, Qin Sui first put Lin Su down and then turned on the lights.

Using candles here wasn’t convenient, and the electricity wasn’t too expensive, so Qin Sui decided to use lights instead of candles.

Grandma Lin was used to saving money. After seeing this, she was about to say something about using candles, but she saw the three children showing great interest in the lights.

Especially Qin Keke, who was watching the lights and clapping his hands, very excited, and didn’t feel sleepy anymore.

Seeing this, Grandma Lin swallowed the words that were on her lips.

Lin Su sat on a stool, her back against the wooden door, looking around.

The single-family house was quite large, with four rooms.

Qin Sui only turned on the lights in the living room, and it was much brighter. The living room was also large, but it was empty. It would look better if it had furniture.

After recovering, Lin Su got up, leaning on the wall. Grandma Lin came over to support her, feeling uneasy.

Their luggage hadn’t arrived yet, so they could only make do tonight. Fortunately, Qin Sui had brought his cotton blanket from his single dormitory in advance.

With so many people, they had to sleep on the kang sideways.

It was big enough for the whole family to sleep together.

Qin Sui first went outside to get the prepared dry grass, spread it out, then put a layer of rags on top, and finally spread the sheets.

They couldn’t boil hot water now, and it was a little cold, so they could only go to bed without washing their feet.

Qin Sui put the three children on the kang one by one, and Grandma Lin slept against the wall.

Lin Su slept on the other side. After she lay down, she looked at Qin Sui, “Where are you sleeping?”

“I’ll make do outside with a stool for tonight.” As for the blanket, he could use his coat instead. He was tough and could withstand the cold.

The conditions were simple, so Lin Su didn’t say anything.

Everyone was tired that day, and they fell asleep as soon as they lay down.

The next day, Lin Su and the three children woke up one after another when the sun came up.

Qin Sui had already brought back breakfast and moved a small amount of briquettes next to the kitchen.

This area was desolate, and firewood was rarely seen, so it was difficult to get firewood, and they could only use briquettes.

After Lin Su came out, she didn’t see him. Seeing Grandma boiling water, she asked, “Grandma, where’s Qin Sui?”

Grandma Lin: “He brought things back and left again. He must be busy with army matters.”

The kettle was a little old. Grandma Lin didn’t know where Qin Sui got it from. She scraped the soot off the outside of the kettle with tongs.

After the water boiled, Grandma Lin poured it into an iron basin and mixed some cold water to make the water temperature not so hot.

“Okay, you can wash your face and brush your teeth.”

Lin Su took some water to brush her teeth first. After brushing, she helped the three children brush their teeth one by one.

Toothpaste and toothbrushes were bought in advance. They couldn’t brush on the train because it was too crowded. Now that they were home, they could brush properly.

In the countryside, the three children had never brushed their teeth, but they had to be more particular here.

Qin Yao and Qin Ni’s acceptance was good, and they obediently brushed their teeth. Qin Keke was small and didn’t like to brush, and resisted brushing his teeth.

Lin Su could only coax and force him to brush.

“If you don’t brush your teeth, the little devil bugs will come to find you at night and eat all your teeth.”

Hearing this, Qin Keke’s hand, which was about to resist, instantly drooped, and he obediently let Lin Su brush his teeth.

Brushing teeth was a new experience, and Qin Yao and Qin Ni gradually liked it.

Qin Yao even asked Lin Su, “Can we brush our teeth ten times a day?”

Lin Su couldn’t help but laugh, “Just brush once in the morning and evening. Brushing too much is also bad for your teeth.”

Hearing this, Qin Yao was a little disappointed.

Lin Su patted his head, “Okay, hurry up and eat breakfast. We have things to do later. If you help me with the work, I’ll make small biscuits for you, okay?”

Hearing about food, Qin Ni’s radar responded first. She suddenly looked up at Lin Su.

Lin Su couldn’t help but laugh. She pinched her face, “I’ll give you an extra one.”

Qin Keke immediately disagreed, hugging Lin Su’s leg and shaking it vigorously.

Lin Su helplessly touched his head, “Okay, okay, you get an extra one too.”

Qin Yao silently watched them, then was fairly treated by Lin Su, who rubbed his head. “You too.”

For a moment, a warm current seemed to flow through the hearts of the three children. They looked at each other and lowered their heads at the same time. Only they knew what they were thinking.

The breakfast Qin Sui brought included small greens, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, and steamed buns.

The portions were small, but enough for them to eat.

The three children didn’t have big appetites. Lin Su ate less because of her health, and Grandma Lin’s appetite wasn’t good because of her age.

After finishing breakfast, Grandma Lin washed the lunchboxes, and Lin Su took the three children to wipe the dusty places in the house with a rag.

Qin Keke was too young to do anything. When he wiped the table legs, it was like he was playing.

Lin Su laughed when she saw this.

Just as they were busy, a woman carrying a basket entered the yard.

The woman was about twenty or thirty years old, her head wrapped in a headscarf, her face seemed weathered by the sun and wind, looking haggard, red, and chapped.

She was slightly plump and looked blessed, but as soon as she spoke, people wouldn’t like her.

“This old lady looks energetic. Oh, you must be the sister-in-law. You’re… quite pretty. But isn’t your body not very good? You probably won’t be able to have many children in the future.”

Lin Su frowned. Before she could speak, Grandma Lin threw down the rag and walked over.

“Are you a doctor or a barefoot doctor? If you’re neither, how do you know she can’t have many children?”

These words were very harsh. It was clear that the old lady wasn’t easy to mess with.

Zhao Cuifeng was always a bully, so she quickly smiled, “Look at my mouth. I deserve a beating. I’m sorry, sister-in-law. I just talk like this, I’m straightforward.”

Whether she was straightforward or not was questionable, but she wasn’t likable anyway.

However, you don’t hit a smiling person. Lin Su still said, “Who are you?”

“I live in the apartment building. My name is Zhao Cuifeng. My husband is a soldier under Deputy Commander Qin.”

Lin Su didn’t speak and took a stool and moved it for her to sit on.

Looking at the almost broken stool, Zhao Cuifeng felt disgusted in her heart but didn’t show it on her face. Instead, she still smiled and said, “You’re really diligent. These three are Deputy Commander Qin’s children, aren’t they? They look so happy. Here, Auntie will give you some pickled radishes.”

Zhao Cuifeng took out the pickled radishes from the basket, stingily dividing them into three and handing them to the three children.

The three children didn’t take them.

They had been with Lin Su recently and had eaten good things. Their mouths had been spoiled. Besides, these pickled radishes were dirty and salty, reminding them of the days when they were beaten and scolded at Grandma’s house.

Seeing that they didn’t want them, Zhao Cuifeng’s face was a little embarrassed.

Lin Su kindly helped her out, “They’re full. You should take the pickled radishes back.”

She didn’t think they hadn’t seen the disgust in their eyes!

Zhao Cuifeng cursed the three brats in her heart for being ungrateful and angrily threw the pickled radishes back into the basket.

Suddenly remembering her purpose, she painfully took out a large handful and put it on the stool, “Oh, look at me, I forgot something. I heard you came, and I’m the first to come and visit you. These pickled radishes are for you to try. I made them myself. They’re delicious with porridge, rice, or anything.”

Lin Su looked at the pickled radishes on the stool.

They were wrinkled and black, covered with dirt and some unknown debris.

Who could eat this?

Lin Su looked at Grandma Lin, whose disgust was almost unconcealable.

“You should take them back. No one in our family likes pickled radishes.” Grandma Lin said directly.

Ungrateful!

Zhao Cuifeng gritted her teeth in hatred.

If Deputy Commander Qin hadn’t fallen for her granddaughter, they would still be working in the fields. As a burden, she had no self-awareness, and she became arrogant after only one day. What a thing!

No matter what she thought in her heart, Zhao Cuifeng didn’t show it on her face. She just smiled and changed the subject, “Your yard is really big.”

Lin Su thought she was simply praising it and echoed, “It is quite big.”

“But it’s not good for children to live so far away. There are so many children in our apartment building. If you live there, they’ll have many playmates.”

“And there are more benefits to living in the apartment building, such as…”

Offering unsolicited kindness, Lin Su understood her ulterior motive and didn’t bother to beat around the bush, directly interrupting her, “Just say what you want to say.”

Zhao Cuifeng hated being interrupted, but she had something to ask for, so she could only smile ingratiatingly, “It’s like this. My family has more people than yours, so I want to exchange houses with you. You can live in the apartment building.”

People really laugh when they’re speechless.

Lin Su said with a smile, “Sister Zhao, you yourself think the apartment building is crowded. Won’t our family be crowded with so many people?”

“Besides, the houses have already been applied for. You didn’t apply for this kind of single-family house with a yard earlier. You want to exchange after we moved in? Are you trying to bully us?”

“Hey, why do you talk so harshly? I’m trying to negotiate with you nicely.” Zhao Cuifeng was very unhappy.

Lin Su was speechless, “Is this harsh? I haven’t said anything harsh yet. Besides, this isn’t the tone of negotiation.”

“No wonder others say bad things about you. You’re really as bad as the rumors say!” Seeing that Lin Su didn’t agree, Zhao Cuifeng didn’t bother to pretend anymore, and disdainfully spat on the ground.

Before leaving, she angrily took away the pickled radishes on the stool, and patted her sleeves as if they were dirty.

Grandma Lin was very angry, “What did she mean by that? Did someone deliberately spread rumors about you?”

Lin Su frowned, “Logically speaking, no. We just arrived.”

“No, I’ll go find out.” Concerned about her granddaughter’s reputation, Grandma Lin was very anxious and quickly walked out.

Lin Su watched her leave, thought for a while, and didn’t follow. Turning around, she was about to continue working when she saw the three children staring at her.

“What’s wrong?”

The eldest and second children shook their heads in unison, and the third child wanted to suck his fingers.

Lin Su quickly took his hand away, “Dirty, there are germs, you’ll get sick.”

“What are germs?” Qin Ni quietly asked Qin Yao, “Are they fungi?”

Qin Yao was a little impressed by this foodie. He said heavily, “I don’t know.”

Qin Ni sighed regretfully.

After everyone cleaned the house, Grandma Lin finally returned after inquiring.

Lin Su saw that her expression was wrong and guessed that things were worse than she thought.

“Grandma, what’s wrong?”

Grandma Lin sighed at her, “Before we joined the army, someone was spreading rumors that you abused your stepdaughter.”

Lin Su frowned, “How did the family matters spread here?”