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When Shen Zi’an and Su Zhi returned home with the three children, it was already dark outside, and their hungry stomachs were rumbling. Fortunately, the Bai Wolf family seemed to have already sorted out their meal.
Su Zhi and Shen Zi’an went to the kitchen to prepare food. Shen Zi’an boiled water while Su Zhi made a pot of noodle soup with some noodles left from lunch, cooked two large pancakes, stir-fried a dish of bean sprouts, and served pickled radishes. The family sat together and devoured the meal eagerly. After a tiring day, they were all famished, making the food taste exceptionally delicious. Every dish, including the rice, vegetables, and soup, was finished with no leftovers.
“Mom, my tummy hurts, rub it please.”
Yueyue pouted and told Su Zhi that she had eaten too much, her belly now swollen. Su Zhi lovingly held her in her arms and gently massaged her little tummy. Feeling the roundness, she felt a warm, tender sensation in her heart. Ensuring the children were well-fed was indeed a source of happiness.
Xiaori and Xinger usually had good self-control and didn’t overeat, but they were reluctant to move, sitting on the kang each holding a wolf—one cradling Little Black and the other snuggled up to Little White. It was evident that they adored the wolfs.
After tidying up the kitchen, Shen Zi’an returned to the room, smiling at the heartwarming scene before him. He walked over and joined in.
“Mom, are we going to see the little brother again tomorrow?”
Yueyue, feeling comforted after Su Zhi’s tummy rub, remembered the tiny baby they had seen earlier that day, who didn’t even cry loudly. She was curious about the small baby and was interested in their outing and play from that day.
Xiaori chimed in, “They’re always asking Mom for money. We shouldn’t go.”
Xinger nodded in agreement, adding, “It’s noisy, all a bunch of troublemakers.”
Yueyue blinked and said, “Yeah, Grandma is pretending to be sick, and pretending to be sick isn’t good. Mom, Grandma isn’t good. Aunt Lianhua isn’t good either.”
Su Zhi chuckled and asked, “Why isn’t Aunt Lianhua good?”
Xinger replied, “She’s always looking at Dad, which isn’t good. Plus, when she came before, she kept asking me about Uncle and wanted me to take her to him. She’s not a good woman.”
Xiaori, with a serious expression, added, “A femme fatale.”
Su Zhi was relieved she wasn’t drinking water at that moment; otherwise, she would have surely burst out laughing. She knew her three children were remarkably intelligent and mature for their age. Yueyue was relatively more innocent due to her younger age and being a girl. Xiaori and Xinger, on the other hand, were extraordinary, often speaking with surprising maturity and accuracy, not quite fitting their age. Their adult-like demeanor was both endearing and astonishing. If it weren’t for the fact that, aside from expressing opinions, they still behaved like children, Su Zhi might have thought they were reincarnated.
Yet, Su Zhi and Shen Zi’an knew they were incredibly fortunate, as if stumbling upon a fortune while walking a dark path. Adopting these three children, each a genius in their own right, was truly a stroke of luck.
“Little one! You already know what ‘femme fatale’ means?”
Su Zhi chuckled, ruffling Xiaori’s hair, and said, “Don’t casually label a woman as a femme fatale. It’s unfair to women. If you think she’s bad, just call her a bad person. Oh, I wonder where you picked up such words, such a young one, saying such things. It’s quite amusing.”
Xiaori responded, “I might be small, but I know a lot of things.”
Xinger added, “Me too, Mom.”
Pointing at Shen Zi’an, Su Zhi said, “When you grow as tall as your dad, then say whatever you want. Mom won’t laugh at you then.”
Xiaori and Xinger glanced at Shen Zi’an and said, “Even if we grow as tall as Dad, you’ll still laugh at us, Mom. You treat us differently from Dad.”
Yueyue chimed in, “Yeah, Mom never sleeps with us, only with Dad.”
Su Zhi burst into laughter once again. Ever since these three children arrived at her home, she found herself laughing more often. The joy of raising children lay in hearing their innocent words, even if these children were exceptionally mature and intelligent. It still had the same effect of making her want to smile.
Seeing Su Zhi laugh until she coughed, Shen Zi’an went over to pat her back, saying, “Look at you, laughing like this.”
Su Zhi leaned against Shen Zi’an, saying, “I am genuinely happy. When I look at the Zhao family, I feel that living with you now is like people say, being in a nest of blessings. With these three children now, even if faced with more unpleasant things, I feel like I can handle it all.”
“Me too,” Shen Zi’an replied, wrapping his arm around Su Zhi’s waist to make her more comfortable. Then he asked, “Are we still going back to Liushu Village tomorrow? Your sister-in-law gave birth prematurely this time, and the Liu family is at fault. We agreed to discuss how to resolve this tomorrow, but I feel like it won’t be easy. If they could show some mutual understanding and familial consideration, maybe it would pass. My concern is that your family might demand too much from the Liu family, which could lead to disagreements.”
Su Zhi believed that the Zhao family would likely demand a hefty sum, given their tendency to seek money from their daughter. With Zhang Shi almost losing her life due to Liu Wuniang’s actions and Lianhua being involved, the reputation of the Zhao family in Liushu Village had been tarnished. How could the Zhao family simply let it go? Although the Zhao family was partially at fault, they were mostly in the right this time, especially considering Zhang Shi almost lost her life.
“Let them do as they please. If they can pressure the Liu family into giving more money, that’s their skill. I actually hope the Liu family faces some financial losses. They are the elders of Liu Siniang, yet they never helped when she was mistreated by her in-laws. It’s truly heartless, especially considering they also inherited Liu Siniang’s parents’ estate. People like them need to suffer some losses.”
Shen Zi’an said, “So, are we not going tomorrow? I fear they won’t fare well in a dispute, and they might come to trouble you again. The Liu family members, from men to women, are all difficult to deal with. Except for your mother, your family, including your father and eldest brother, is not quite as good as your mother.”
The men in the Zhao family were submissive to their wives. Old Man Zhao was weak and silent, while Zhao Yuanbao was more diplomatic but lacked backbone, showing a tendency to yield to pressure. As for the Liu family, though Shen Zi’an hadn’t met their sons, Liu Damu didn’t seem like a pushover. While Liu Yangshi spoke less than Zhao Yangshi, her actions, like encouraging Liu Wuniang to strike Lianhua, revealed a cunning nature. Liu Wuniang herself was sharp-tongued and provocative, evident in how she provoked Lianhua to hit her. With this family dynamic, it was clear that the Zhao family was at a disadvantage when confronting the Liu family.
Su Zhi considered that if the Zhao family couldn’t gain any benefits, they might come looking for her, rubbing her forehead in contemplation.
“Let’s see how it goes. If I’m in a good mood, I’ll go see them. If not, that’s the Zhao family’s business. I’m just a woman married into the family; I can’t handle everything.”
Yueyue went over to help Su Zhi massage her forehead, saying, “Mom, even when I get married, I’ll still take care of you and Dad.”
Su Zhi chuckled at Yueyue’s words, hugged her, and said, “Little one, do you even know what getting married means? Thinking about this at such a young age?”
Yueyue replied, “I know. It means becoming someone’s wife. Tiedan’s mom always wants me to marry Tiedan, but I don’t want to. I want to marry Xinger.”
Su Zhi paused, then burst into laughter. She leaned on Shen Zi’an’s shoulder, burying her face, feeling happy and content. Shen Zi’an joined in the laughter, thinking how adorable these three children were. He wondered if their future daughters would be just as cute. Glancing at Su Zhi’s belly, he shook his head inwardly, deciding it might be best to wait until his wife was in better health before having more children.
Su Zhi teased Yueyue, asking, “You want to be Xinger’s wife, but what about Xiaori? Don’t you want to be Xiaori’s wife too?”
Yueyue replied, “Xiaori says he’s my brother and doesn’t want me as his wife. He says he wants a wife like you, Mom, and thinks I’m too young.”
Shen Zi’an, upon hearing this, glanced at Xiaori, thinking the boy had good judgment.
Su Zhi was now in pain from laughing but managed to keep a straight face, joking with Xinger, “Sweetheart, don’t you want a wife like me? Or do you prefer someone like Yueyue? Mom would be heartbroken.”
Xinger furrowed his brow and replied, “You are my mother, and sons can’t marry their mothers. But I’ll make sure Yueyue grows up to be like you. If she doesn’t become like you, I won’t want her as my wife.”
Yueyue declared, “I will definitely grow up to be just like Mom!”
Su Zhi, finding herself at a loss for words, kept a composed expression despite wanting to burst into laughter. The tumultuous feelings from Liushu Village had vanished, leaving her heart light and content in the midst of the children’s innocent banter.
The next day, Su Zhi decided not to go to Liushu Village. Instead, she went to see Liu Siniang to discuss the unfortunate situation facing Liu Damu’s family. She knew Liu Siniang also held grievances against her elder relatives and hoped that sharing this misfortune would bring some relief to Liu Siniang.
Accompanied by the three children and the two little wolves, Su Zhi set out. Shen Zi’an stayed home to chop firewood. Upon arriving at Liu Siniang’s house, Su Zhi found the front gate closed. She knocked twice, and a voice from inside, belonging to Zhao Xiaohua, inquired, “Who is it?”
“It’s me, from the Shen family,” Su Zhi replied.
Zhao Xiaohua opened the door with a smile and said, “Oh, it’s Sister Zhao. Are you looking for my sister-in-law? She’s not available to see you right now. Please come back another day.”
Su Zhi raised an eyebrow, puzzled by Liu Siniang’s sudden unavailability. She suspected something was amiss since Liu Siniang was at home but supposedly couldn’t meet her. The first thought that crossed her mind was that if Liu Siniang couldn’t see her, there must be a problem. Perhaps she was unwell, but Zhao Xiaohua wouldn’t prevent her from seeing visitors in that case. Could it be that they had hurt her again?
With suspicions brewing, Su Zhi refused to leave. Since entering this world, Liu Siniang had become a dear friend she cared deeply about. She couldn’t stand by and watch her suffer in an unhappy marriage, nor could she ignore any signs of mistreatment.