Jiang Lin coldly said, “I’ll wait. I’ll wait for you to kneel down and apologize to me.”

She took Da Bao and Xiao Bao’s hands and said to Yan Runzhi, “Mom, let’s go home.”

It came out naturally, and she even followed Cheng Rushan’s way of addressing her.

Even Jiang Lin herself was taken aback.

It was the first time Yan Runzhi had heard her call her ‘mom,’ and she was so excited that her face turned red.

“Let’s go, let’s go home and cook. After we eat, we’ll settle the score with them.”

Yan Runzhi carried her sewing basket and headed home, walking with the steps of a tipsy empress.

Ma Kaihua had no idea about her excitement.

He thought she was showing off and snorted angrily.

Cheng Yulian mocked, “I say, Ma Kaihua, you’re going too far. Even if Jiang Zhiqing didn’t sell her child, so what if she did? Nowadays, aren’t there plenty of rural children being sent to live with others?”

Ma Kaihua was about to retort, but Cheng Yulian snorted and walked away, leaving Ma Kaihua hopping mad.

“You old witch, always sticking your nose in other people’s business!”

Cheng Yulian was clearly older than her, but she looked much younger.

Back home, Yan Runzhi advised Jiang Lin, “Dear, don’t be angry. Let me tell you, if you need to scold or hit someone, just do it. But don’t get angry yourself. If you get sick from anger, no one will take care of you.”

Jiang Lin nodded, “I know.”

Cheng Dabao and Cheng Xiaobao were squatting at the door, cursing the old witch, one old witch, two old witches…

Jiang Lin was considering how to explain to Yan Runzhi, but she heard Yan Runzhi ask with a shy smile, “Dear, what did you call me just now?”

Jiang Lin was surprised, “What?”

Yan Runzhi said, “It was when we were coming home.”

Jiang Lin was also a bit embarrassed because calling Yan Runzhi ‘mom’ meant she had recognized her as Cheng Rushan’s daughter-in-law.

It had only been a few days, and things were developing quite fast.

But since she didn’t want to leave Da Bao and Xiao Bao, there was no need for her to be shy.

She said confidently, “Mom.”

Yan Runzhi happily responded, her face turning red, “Oh.”

Cheng Dabao and Cheng Xiaobao turned to look at her together, “Why don’t you call her Grandma’?”

Jiang Lin smiled, “Children call her ‘Grandma,’ and adults call her ‘Mom’.”

Yan Runzhi happily went to knead dough and make steamed buns, using pumpkin and flour from the morning, along with sorghum and cornmeal.

She stewed a pot of eggplant sauce and steamed the buns on top, saving firewood.

“I want to tell you something,” Jiang Lin pondered, “…a few days ago, on the hottest day, I said I would take Da Bao and Xiao Bao back to the city.”

Yan Runzhi: “Yes, but you didn’t go later. Don’t worry, our family has money now. When Dongsheng comes back, I’ll have him accompany you and buy more good things for your in-laws.” She thought Jiang Lin was homesick and worried about her parents.

Jiang Lin looked at Da Bao and Xiao Bao playing the game of ‘Ant War’ at the door. “Actually, that day, I really wanted to use Da Bao and Xiao Bao…”

Cheng Dabao suddenly turned his head, staring at her intently, his dark eyes full of tension, afraid that she would really sell him.

Seeing how nervous he was, Jiang Lin felt sorry for him even jokingly and said, “to cheat some money… oh, I thought about it and realized it was wrong, dishonest, so…”

Cheng Dabao suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, realizing she wasn’t going to sell him.

How wonderful.

Yan Runzhi didn’t understand, “How to cheat money?”

Jiang Lin explained how Meng Yiyi said the Zhao family at the Dache Store didn’t have a son and wanted to buy one, and how she wanted to get some money, so she went there, “I thought Da Bao and Xiao Bao were smart and remembered things, so I would first cheat them of their money, and then bring the child back…”

Whether this was believable or not, it was just an excuse to comfort Yan Runzhi and the children, to make them believe that she wasn’t going to sell the children.

That was enough.

Yan Runzhi sighed.

She didn’t think Jiang Lin was going to sell her son.

She just felt that her family was poor, and Jiang Lin wanted to go back to her parents’ home but didn’t have money, so she might have thought of other ways.

As for the matter of selling children, Yan Runzhi couldn’t accept it emotionally, but she understood it rationally.

During difficult times, many families couldn’t afford to eat, so they sent their children away to survive.

Some even sent their children away in exchange for a bag of grain.

When starving, people would do anything.

Cheng Xiaobao ran over and asked, “Lilin, what happened next?”

He thought she was telling a story.

Jiang Lin said, “First, making money is not easy, and the old couple is pitiful. I couldn’t bear it. Second…”

She looked at the two children and said slowly, “Although I used to find you both annoying, if I really had to give you away, I would feel like I would never get you back.

I suddenly felt so afraid of losing you both, so reluctant.

I suddenly realized that what I did before was really wrong, and I can’t do it again. I want to be better to you. I can’t bear to give you away even for a day…”

As she spoke, she became emotional again, her eyes sore, tears flowing unconsciously.

She knew what it felt like to be abandoned, and she didn’t want the two of them to have such a shadow.

“Mom~~” Cheng Xiaobao threw himself into her arms, crying loudly, “Mom, I love you so much. You are really my good mom.”

Cheng Dabao’s tears also fell, sniffling and sobbing.

Yan Runzhi waved to him, and he ran over and cried on Jiang Lin’s legs.

Yan Runzhi wiped her tears, but ended up with flour all over her face.

Her tears flowed down, and she was afraid they would fall into the basin, so she quickly used her apron to block them.

Jiang Lin hugged the two children and kissed them one by one. “Can you forgive me?”

Cheng Dabao sniffled, wiped his red eyes, and frowned very seriously, “You know your mistakes and correct them. I forgive you.”

Cheng Xiaobao laughed through his tears, “Lilin, can you give me ten pieces of candy? and I will forgive you.”

Jiang Lin: “…”

Cheng Xiaobao still had crystal-clear tears on his cheeks, like scattered diamonds on his curved eyelashes.

He stared at Jiang Lin, thinking that his mom might not agree to ten pieces? Then how about five?

He tested, “Mom, three pieces, just three pieces? Can you give me three pieces, and I’ll forgive you.”

He held out three delicate, white, and tender little fingers, “Just three pieces, okay?”

In fact, he didn’t take it seriously at all.

He never blamed his mom.

As long as his mom treated him well, it was better than anything else.

But taking the opportunity to ask for a few pieces of candy was also necessary.

He absolutely couldn’t miss such a good opportunity.

Yan Runzhi, who had been crying and sobbing, burst into laughter again.

She patted her stomach, “People who don’t know might think I’m a crazy woman.”

The four of them laughed and cried for a while, and Jiang Lin went to get candy for the children.

Jiang Lin was afraid that Cheng Xiaobao would sneakily eat them, so she hid them.

When she went to get the candy, she closed the door.

Cheng Xiaobao tried to peek through the crack, but Cheng Dabao pulled him away and didn’t allow him to sneak a peek.

Cheng Xiaobao pouted, with the corners of his eyes red from crying, looking incredibly beautiful and pitiful.

He looked as if he was wronged, “Dabao, why aren’t you behaving?”

Cheng Dabao said, “We have to listen to Mom.”

Cheng Xiaobao said, “I listen very well.”

Jiang Lin came out with two pieces for each.

Cheng Xiaobao’s eyes dimmed.

Only two pieces? He thought there were three.

Jiang Lin said, “If you’re not happy, then give them back to me.”

Cheng Xiaobao immediately smiled happily, “Thank you, Mom, I’m very happy.”

Cheng Dabao said, “Thank you, Mom, I’m also very happy.”

Jiang Lin smiled.

Cheng Xiaobao couldn’t help but ask, “Lilin, am I worth ten thousand?”

He was particularly persistent about this.

Jiang Lin said, “Of course you are, you’re priceless.”

Cheng Xiaobao felt like he was still the most valuable child in the village.

He happily dragged Cheng Dabao to watch the ants fight for food, then told stories of the brutal wars in the ant kingdom.

Talking to Yan Runzhi and the children about this matter, Jiang Lin felt a huge weight lifted off her chest.

Although she had been joking about it before, she couldn’t let her loved ones suffer from rumors and gossip.

Especially for the children, if there was a doubt in their hearts about their birth mother selling them, it would be very detrimental to their psychological growth.

Yan Runzhi, on the other hand, felt that a prodigal son returning home was priceless.

The fact that Jiang Lin was willing to turn back was better than anything else.

Regardless of whether she was going to sell her children or cheat for money, the fact remained that she couldn’t bear to give up her own children.

Now, she treated the two children exceptionally well, and Yan Runzhi thought it was wonderful.

After all, she was an experienced person and understood the gossip of those women like Liu Honghua.

She didn’t want those people to talk nonsense about Jiang Lin selling her children all day.

Even though her own family didn’t believe it, hearing such things all the time wasn’t pleasant.

She said to Jiang Lin, “Don’t be afraid, Baoniang. As long as we are upright and the children are well-behaved at home, how can we let them talk nonsense? After lunch, we’ll go to the commune and complain, tell them about all those troublemaking women, and see who dares to gossip again. If they do, when Dongsheng comes back, we’ll give them a good beating, and they’ll behave.”

Jiang Lin smiled, “Okay.”

Actually, she had a better plan, but it would take some time.

It wasn’t convenient to go out now since it was late, and it would be too late by the time they got back if they walked, so they had to set out tomorrow morning.

As the family was having dinner, they heard Liu Honghua’s triumphant voice outside, “Jiang Lin, come out. I’ve invited Lao Zhao over to confront you. How dare you, you heartless woman, selling your own son? He’s the descendant of our Cheng family. Could I let you sell him so easily?”