Chapter 34: Comforting

“Mom, I—I just started writing! I’ll definitely write better than my sister in the future!” Gu Qingbai quickly tried to salvage his dignity.

What could Yan Fengru say to that? Even if her two children were just scribbling nonsense, in her eyes, it was the best—better and smarter than every other kid in the entire village.

“Alright, both of your writing is great! My precious little Zhuzhu and Brother Bai are both amazing!”

Gu Yuzhu: “……”
Though she felt a bit embarrassed being praised like that, she was still really happy! Indeed, children still needed their mother’s warm praise and gentle comfort.

“You two go on playing. Mommy’s going to make lunch.”

Gu Yuzhu and Gu Qingbai both nodded vigorously.

Yan Fengru didn’t actually expect the kids to practice calligraphy seriously for very long; she just thought playing with sand wasn’t a bad idea. Since the twins had been born premature, they were strictly cared for from a young age. Compared to other kids in the village their age, her children were already very well-behaved.

So she wasn’t worried they’d get too carried away, get their clothes dirty, or run into danger. Letting them play in the backyard was the best option.

All of the Yan brothers except the eldest, Yan Xingjia, had returned home. When they heard that Gu Caihe had come over to stir up trouble, they were so furious they nearly rushed out right away to settle the score!

Why hadn’t the Yan brothers been home when Gu Caihe came to cause trouble? Mainly because none of the brothers were exactly the stay-at-home type. Besides farming, they usually weren’t around. The eldest, Yan Xingjia, was a craftsman who had married the only daughter of an old carpenter.

Although it wasn’t officially stated, it was obvious that Master Kang intended to pass his family’s carpentry business down to Yan Xingjia.

The second brother, Yan Xingye, was shrewd and ambitious. He had started doing street business at a young age and had since saved some capital. He was currently planning to open a small shop in town.

As for the third brother, Yan Xinghe, he most resembled their late Uncle Yan in personality.

He was a hunter. During farming off-seasons, he liked to go up the mountains to check his traps or track down wild game and mountain delicacies.

Yan Xinghe, however, was also clever. With the tragic example of their uncle before him, he made sure to bring trustworthy companions whenever he went hunting to ensure safety first. When he initially wanted to become a hunter, his eldest sister Yan Fengru was firmly against it. She feared he would vanish in the mountains like their uncle had.

Under normal circumstances, experienced hunters could keep themselves safe in the mountains. But in Yan Fengru’s eyes, even someone as skilled as their uncle had died out there—how could she possibly allow her own younger brother to take the same risk?

After much back-and-forth, and also because she had been in the provincial capital at the time and couldn’t truly control Yan Xinghe, she eventually gave in.

Later, seeing how skilled and passionate Yan Xinghe was about hunting, and realizing he had likely been sneaking into the mountains behind her back for some time, she had no choice but to give her reluctant consent.

As for the younger sisters-in-law, there were no surviving elders from the previous generation in the Yan family. As for Madam Kang, there was no question—she had to follow her husband Yan Xingjia, especially since her father had two young children who needed care. That couple was out of the house more than half the month.

After bringing Yan Fengru and her two children back from the Gu household, they hadn’t even had a sip of hot tea before Yan Xingjia rushed back to town. He was joined by Yan Xingye, who was continuing to look for a shop space.

As for Yan Xinghe, he had gone up the mountains to check his traps. So when Gu Caihe came to stir up trouble, only the women and children were home.

The second brother’s wife, Madam Lin, was now six months pregnant with her third child. The third sister-in-law, Madam Ying, was in a similar situation. The young couple was expecting their second baby—currently four months along.

When Gu Caihe showed up with people, Yan Fengru had worried the shouting and chaos might upset the two pregnant women. So she told Madam Lin and Madam Ying to stay inside with the kids and not come out.

Now that the situation had calmed down, Madam Lin and Madam Ying couldn’t hold themselves back any longer and came out.

However, thinking that they hadn’t been able to help earlier, the two women looked a bit awkward and embarrassed.

“When Xingye and the others get back, we’ll definitely help you and our niece get justice!”

“That’s right! We can’t just let this go! We were slandered without a shred of evidence, and they didn’t even offer a proper apology.” Madam Ying was equally indignant.

Yan Fengru wasn’t angry anymore by now, but seeing the two sisters-in-law fuming on her behalf, she wasn’t sure what to say. Still, having worked as a maid in a large household, she had some social grace. Though she felt awkward inside, she still offered comfort to the two pregnant women.

“Alright, you two don’t need to worry about it. We’re not the type to let others take advantage of us. You’re both expecting—there’s no need to feel guilty. We didn’t suffer any real loss. If anything, you were frightened. Later, I’ll make you a nice, hot meal to help calm your nerves.”

Madam Lin and Madam Ying had been feeling uneasy, but when their elder sister-in-law brushed it off so casually, they couldn’t help but feel relieved.

After all, in the Yan family, Yan Fengru held great authority in the hearts of her brothers. Even for her willingness to sacrifice herself back then to support her younger siblings, Madam Lin and Madam Ying deeply respected her.

That said, unlike the Yan family with its three tall, strong men who could make anyone feel secure just by standing there, Madam Ying’s maiden family lived far away—in the deep mountains. Her husband, Yan Xinghe, had saved her father’s life during a hunting trip, and that was how they’d gotten together.

Because her family lived so far away, they were of little help. It wasn’t practical to call on them for support, so Madam Ying didn’t mention them.

The journey from the mountain village to Qingshan Village took over an hour one way… so they were simply too far to rely on.

Given the impracticality, Madam Ying didn’t bring it up.

Madam Lin’s maiden family was in a neighboring village, but they didn’t have many people. She had one older brother and two younger sisters. Thankfully, her parents were honest and decent farmers who didn’t favor sons over daughters. But with so few men in the family, they lacked strength and confidence when it came to disputes.

That was probably why the Lin family had chosen to marry her into the Yan family. Say what you will about the Yan boys—they might be orphans, but they were tall, strong, and dependable. If anything happened, just standing together would be enough to intimidate troublemakers.

But speaking of food, the two pregnant women started to drool just thinking of Yan Fengru’s cooking.

In the countryside, most housewives didn’t put much care into cooking. As long as the food was cooked and nobody starved, that was good enough. Pursuing flavor just wasn’t realistic. But Yan Fengru, having worked in a wealthy household and being well-informed, could turn even the simplest food into something special.

Especially her handmade noodles—firm and springy, with rich, flavorful broth—so delicious it could make people want to swallow their tongues. The two pregnant women, especially Madam Ying, who was still early in her pregnancy and suffering from poor appetite, couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Normally, Yan Xinghe would go up the mountain to hunt wild game to improve her diet. But while wild game tasted good, if not prepared well, it had a strange odor. What Madam Ying liked best was still the pickled sour plums made by her mother.

Since becoming pregnant with her second child, she had already gone through an entire jar of them, and now the second jar was nearly empty. Even so, her appetite hadn’t improved. Instead, she had grown thinner, making her baby bump look more prominent.