Chapter 9: Threw Up

However, Qin Yao waited for a long time, but the expected pain didn’t come. Instead, he felt a hand rubbing his head.

While rubbing, she complained, “It’s all oily. How long has it been since you washed your hair?”

“I’m not going to hit you. Lift your head.”

Qin Yao tentatively lifted his head. The next second, he felt a light flick on his forehead.

Although it didn’t hurt, Qin Yao still covered his forehead and glared at Lin Su with a resentful look.

Lin Su laughed, “This is a small punishment for not appreciating my kindness. Qin Yao, not every stepmother is wicked. I understand that you don’t trust me, but time will prove it. In the meantime, can we get along well?”

Qin Yao didn’t answer her.

Lin Su wasn’t discouraged. She sighed lightly, touched his head, and finally left under his accusing gaze.

As soon as Lin Su left, she took away the only source of light. Qin Yao suddenly felt cold and quickly burrowed into the blanket.

The blanket was still warm, but Qin Yao suddenly couldn’t sleep.

The next day.

It was difficult to take three children, so Lin Su only went to town with Grandma.

There were many people waiting for the bullock cart, so Grandma Lin, afraid that they wouldn’t get a good seat later, pulled Lin Su to the front.

After the old man drove the bullock cart over, Grandma Lin quickly occupied the best position and pulled the weak Lin Su up.

Afraid that she would catch a cold in the wind, she took out the already prepared military coat and wrapped her in it.

Lin Su was also afraid that Grandma would get cold, so she opened half of it and let her cover herself as well.

After everyone was seated, the old man urged the bullock cart to set off.

It wasn’t dawn yet, and the bullock cart was swaying, so Lin Su felt a little sleepy. Just as she was dozing off, she suddenly heard the aunts who were chatting about gossip turn their attention to her.

“Su girl, is your man coming back?”

Lin Su was about to answer when Grandma Lin suddenly grabbed her hand and squeezed it, and completely covered her face with the military coat.

“Qin’s boy is a deputy commander, very busy, but he should be back soon. By the way, Mrs. Mao Dan, is Mao Dan better?” Grandma Lin responded perfunctorily and quickly changed the subject.

She knew that these aunts didn’t have bad intentions, but as long as they asked and answered, it would never end, and then they would add some gossip.

Lin Su pretended to sleep, listening to them shift the topic elsewhere, and her thoughts gradually drifted away.

She wondered if Qin Sui would be back soon.

Calculating the time, not much had passed, and he shouldn’t be back so soon, so Lin Su stopped thinking about it.

Just as she was getting numb from sitting, they finally arrived in town. By this time, it was also dawn.

While Lin Su was curiously looking around, Grandma Lin, with a clear purpose, directly pulled her to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy cloth.

There were too many people, and Grandma Lin, afraid of squeezing Lin Su, asked her to wait on the side while she squeezed in.

Don’t look at Grandma Lin being old, her fighting power was not to be underestimated. The young people around her couldn’t squeeze past her.

Lin Su watched in amazement. If her thin body went to squeeze, she would be squeezed into a twist.

After a while, Grandma Lin came out with a pile of cloth. Without waiting for Lin Su to speak, she stuffed the cloth to Lin Su and went to fight again.

Watching Grandma squeeze in to buy things with a radiant face, Lin Su found it both funny and sad.

If her body was like a normal person, Grandma wouldn’t have to squeeze with a bunch of young people.

Just as she was feeling sentimental, Grandma came out with another pile of things.

There was snow cream, biscuits, flour, sugar, salt, matches, towels, shampoo, etc.

There were too many things. Lin Su didn’t have enough eyes to see.

“Grandma, how did you buy so fast?” she asked curiously.

Grandma Lin stuffed the things into the basket and covered them with a rag, and said with a smile, “It’s all experience, and there are too many people to choose from. You have to take whatever they give you.”

Lin Su felt that she had learned something again.

After buying enough things, the two of them didn’t stay long and went out, afraid that the three children at home would panic if they woke up and couldn’t find them. Lin Su and Grandma Lin quickly walked towards the old man’s bullock cart.

At this time, there were also many people who had finished shopping and were waiting for the cart. Seeing that almost everyone was there, the old man didn’t delay and drove the ox away.

When Lin Su and Grandma Lin returned home, the three children were awake. Qin Ni was washing Qin Keke’s face, and Qin Yao was sweeping the yard.

Their relaxed state was as if they had made this place their home.

Lin Su and Grandma Lin smiled at each other.

“Come and see what Grandma bought for you.” Lin Su said.

Qin Yao only glanced at it and didn’t come over, still sweeping the ground. Qin Ni saw the exposed biscuits and was tempted, but she was wary of Lin Su. After hesitating for a long time, she still didn’t go over.

Only Qin Keke was young and didn’t think too much. He walked towards Lin Su when he heard the sound.

Wobbling, Lin Su was afraid that he would fall and quickly hugged him.

Perhaps he was used to Lin Su’s scent, or perhaps the food attracted most of Qin Keke’s attention, so he didn’t push Lin Su away immediately.

Lin Su didn’t hold him for long. After taking out the biscuits and candy and putting them in a basket, she asked Qin Keke to take them to share with his older siblings.

Qin Keke did as he was told.

It was getting late, and Lin Su went to the kitchen to help Grandma make breakfast.

In the yard, Qin Yao looked at the biscuits and candy in his palm with a complicated expression.

At Grandma’s house, they wouldn’t even get to eat them. Even if they did, Grandma would directly take them away and give them to the eldest uncle’s children.

They only had the right to watch, not the right to eat.

Now, at the wicked stepmother’s house, his initial thought was that it would be even worse than at Grandma’s house, but the truth was not like that.

Here, they could get up early or late as they pleased, and they could eat their fill even if they didn’t work. The key was that they could sleep on the kang, covered with thick blankets, which was very warm.

They weren’t beaten or scolded, and they had snacks to eat from time to time. Biscuits and candy were free to eat, and no one would snatch them from their hands.

After that, they would have their own new clothes to wear.

These were things they couldn’t even dream of.

At Grandma’s house, sometimes even when his father was there, they were still trembling with fear. Here, he didn’t know when it started, but not only him, but Qin Ni and Qin Keke no longer felt timid.

This morning, when he woke up and didn’t see Lin Su and Grandma Lin, Qin Yao panicked for a moment. Later, he remembered that they would go to town to buy cloth, so he calmed down.

“If you don’t eat it, give it to me.” Qin Ni emerged like a ghost, her eyes shining brightly, staring at the biscuits and candy in his hand.

Qin Yao pushed her head away, “No.”

Qin Ni had to coax Qin Keke, but Qin Keke was clever and guarded the biscuits and candy tightly.

Seeing Qin Ni circling Qin Keke relentlessly, Qin Yao’s expression was momentarily dazed.

Qin Ni’s personality was quite lively when her mother was still alive. After her mother died, she changed, becoming lifeless, not talking to anyone except them, and often immersed in her own world, resisting external things.

He thought that Qin Ni would continue like this, but he didn’t expect her to start getting better now.

The reason for this was because…

“Time to eat!”

The soft voice was as gentle as ever. Qin Yao looked at the kitchen door. The woman he habitually called the wicked stepmother was wearing an apron, wiping her hands, and smiling at them.

In a daze, Qin Yao thought he saw his mother.

“Today we have dumpling soup and sweet and sour poached eggs.” Seeing that they were unmoved, Lin Su added this sentence.

Hearing the names of the obviously delicious dishes, Qin Ni’s eyes lit up. She was the first to react and diligently arranged the tables and stools.

Qin Keke belatedly followed.

Lin Su watched them with satisfaction. Seeing Qin Yao standing still, she didn’t think much, turned around, and went to serve the dishes.

Because of the arrival of the three children, the family’s meals were more abundant, comparable to the New Year.

If it was just Lin Su and Grandma Lin, they wouldn’t eat well every meal.

The three children had never seen sweet and sour poached eggs and stared at them for a long time.

Seeing this, Lin Su said softly, “Serve the rice and eat.”

Qin Yao was the first to serve the rice, and he also took the initiative to serve Lin Su and Grandma Lin.

Although it was a small matter, Lin Su felt very gratified, because the child would help, so it wasn’t far from him accepting her.

The family sat around and began to eat, and Lin Su distributed the poached eggs to them.

Grandma Lin didn’t want one, but Lin Su forced one on her.

“I don’t like to eat this.” Grandma Lin said her signature words.

Seeing that she was about to take it out, Lin Su quickly said, “Grandma, try my cooking skills. They have enough to eat. You should eat more to replenish your nutrition.”

Grandma Lin had no choice but to pick it up and eat it.

The taste was really good.

Grandma Lin was a little puzzled, “Su, when did your cooking skills become so good?”

Lin Su’s eating movements paused slightly. Without raising her head, she made up a reason, “I saw it in the newspaper and learned to do it. I didn’t expect to succeed the first time.”

“The newspaper even teaches this kind of thing? That’s good.”

Because the original owner liked to read newspapers, Grandma Lin didn’t think much about it.

Lin Su smiled and “mm”, quickly serving them dishes to cover up the awkwardness on her face.

…

Another meal made the three children eat their fill.

The main reason was that it was too delicious. Even the sweet and sour poached egg sauce was eaten with rice by Qin Ni, and the plates were scraped clean, without wasting a bit.

Lin Su was afraid that she would throw up.

She wanted to tell them to restrain themselves, but she was afraid that they would think she was stingy.

Being a stepmother had this disadvantage. She had to think carefully about everything she said and did, afraid that saying or doing something would make their sensitive hearts even more fragile.

The afternoon sun was sufficient. After the three children digested their food, Lin Su heated water for them to wash their hair.

The three children had no one to take care of them, so they naturally didn’t have shampoo when they washed their hair. They couldn’t wash it clean with just water.

Lin Su handed the newly bought shampoo to Qin Yao.

Originally, she wanted to help them wash it, but the three children weren’t close to her yet. Qin Ni couldn’t even be touched. As soon as she was touched, she would run away.

With no choice, Lin Su could only let the oldest, Qin Yao, help them wash, while she went to make new clothes for them.

Lin Su not only ran well in her previous life, but she also knew a little about cooking and making clothes. However, the original owner didn’t know much about these things because of her health, and Grandma didn’t want her to touch many things because she loved her.

Therefore, in order to dispel Grandma’s suspicion, Lin Su specifically asked her for advice.

Seeing that Lin Su’s mental state was okay, Grandma Lin agreed to teach her.

However, in order not to make Lin Su anxious, Grandma Lin said in advance that she would make most of the clothes, and Lin Su could just watch and learn.

Lin Su sighed helplessly.

Grandma really loved her, and her body was really weak, and had become a burden.

Grandma Lin was used to making clothes, and her technique was skilled. She made two sets of clothes in one afternoon.

Lin Su only did the work of sewing buttons.

Just as they were making the third set, Qin Yao suddenly ran over in a hurry, looking flustered, “Qin Ni threw up, she threw up three times.”