Chapter 68: Help Has Arrived

Back at home, Tan Yiliang and Tan Sanyuan were coaxing the two children to sleep.

Of course, Tan Liujin didn’t need any coaxing.

Eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating—those were his daily essentials.

Little Qiyue was a little more lively than that chubby one, especially with her two older brothers at home, making her even more excited. After they had spent some time soothing her, she finally allowed herself to close her eyes.

Tan Yiliang carefully cradled her in his arms, gently laying her down on the bed, and softly patted her chest.

Little Qiyue blinked her eyes, and with a wave of her hand, she startled the two of them.

Tan Yiliang held his breath and continued gently patting her chest.

Tan Sanyuan withdrew the hand that had been resting behind her head. Only when he saw that she had fallen into a deep sleep did both of them finally relax.

The two of them sat down by the edge of the bed, leaning back as they stared out the window, lost in thought.

They didn’t know how much time had passed when suddenly someone outside called, “Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, are you home?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Tan Yiliang quickly got up, opened the door, and looked outside. There, at the doorstep, stood a young woman wearing a green coat. He immediately stepped forward and smiled, “Little Aunt, Little Aunt, what brings you here?”

The woman smiled gently at Tan Yiliang, “I heard from your second aunt that you’re building a house, so I came to help out.”

This woman was none other than Old Tan’s third sister, who had married into a village over on the mountain five years ago, which was relatively far from here, so she rarely came back.

Of course, it was also because Old Tan was concerned that his sister’s in-laws might not appreciate her coming back too often, so he had advised her to stay away.

The children of the Tan family were very fond of their Little Aunt. The older ones were almost raised by her.

The three siblings of Old Tan had lost their parents early. Before Tan Xiaomei got married, she often helped Wan Chunmei take care of the children, and she was the perfect sister-in-law with no faults to find.

Not only did the Tan family love her, but they were also deeply grateful to her.

Tan Yiliang quickly invited his Little Aunt inside, “Little Aunt, come in, come in.”

After saying that, he poured her a cup of water.

Seeing that the children were asleep, Tan Xiaomei stepped lightly, careful not to disturb them, and entered the room.

Tan Yiliang smiled, “Little Aunt, would you like to see Little Qiyue?”

“No need, no need. I’ll wait until she wakes up,” Tan Xiaomei’s voice was soft, soothing to the ears.

Tan Yiliang was delighted and hurriedly went over to the stove, bringing out the new pickled chicken his mother had just made. “Little Aunt, try this. It’s something my mother just made, and it tastes absolutely wonderful.”

Tan Xiaomei held the jar of pickles in her hands but hesitated to eat. She stared blankly at it, and gradually her eyes began to redden.

Tan Yiliang quickly asked, “What’s wrong, Little Aunt?”

Tan Xiaomei let out a soft sob before replying, “It’s nothing, nothing.”

Although Tan Yiliang was young, he could still tell that his Little Aunt was upset. As he looked closer, he noticed that there were wounds on her forehead and neck.

He immediately asked, “Little Aunt, what happened to the wounds on your body?”

Not only were there wounds, but as he stepped back, he realized that she was barefoot. Her feet were red, purple, and covered in scabs of dried blood.

Tan Yiliang was stunned.

At that moment, Old Tan also returned home. As he entered, he was initially pleased to see his sister but then noticed Little Qiyue was asleep, so he lowered his voice carefully and placed his bundle and sickle down, walking into the room. “Little Sister, what brings you back?”

Tan Xiaomei, seeing Old Tan, slowly stood up. Her eyes were swollen, tears streaming down her face, and her voice was hoarse. “Big… Big Brother…”

Old Tan stepped forward, asking, “What’s wrong, Little Sister?”

As she cried, Tan Xiaomei choked out, “Big Brother, I’m really sorry. When Sister-in-law was giving birth, such a big thing happened, and I couldn’t help at all. You had to walk a whole day and night across the mountains to bring me eggs, meat, and pickles. But I didn’t even have a meal ready for you.”

Old Tan stepped forward, gently wiping her tears, and smiled. “It’s alright, it’s alright. Your sister-in-law and I aren’t upset with you. As long as you’re doing well at your in-laws, that’s the most important thing.”

Tan Xiaomei tried to control her tears, wiping her face and forcing a weak smile. “Big Brother, I heard you’re building a house. The land needs to be farmed, the chickens need to be fed, and the children still need someone to take care of them. You two must be overwhelmed. Let me help. Little Qiyue and Tan Liujin don’t need to nurse all the time anymore. I can help take care of them, and I’ll also cook for the masons.”

When Old Tan heard this, his face immediately brightened. His wife had been taking care of the kids and making pickles to sell, which had been exhausting. Having someone to help was exactly what they needed.

However, as he listened, something didn’t quite add up.

His sister’s in-laws were quite domineering and had never allowed her to return to her parents’ home. How could they possibly let her come back to work?