Thinking of those two children who were often scorned, she unconsciously quickened her pace and walked to the end of the alley, where she saw the children who were playing.

The group of children were dark-skinned, some naked, some in vests and shorts, and most of them barefoot.

Two of them stood out, around six or seven years old, with fair skin and beautiful features.

Jiang Lin remained silent, standing a short distance away, quietly observing them.

It was strangely familiar, almost like looking at old photos of herself as a child.

The two children looked very alike but had noticeable differences.

The taller one, Cheng Dabao, pursed his lips and looked serious, while the shorter one, Cheng Xiaobao, smiled happily with innocence.

Cheng Xiaobao spotted her and his smile brightened even more, “Mom!”

Cheng Dabao, on the other hand, stared at Jiang Lin with caution.

Despite his young age, he was sharp.

Due to their family’s low status and delicate situation, he understood things well beyond his years.

He felt distant from Jiang Lin; in his perception, she didn’t treat them like her own children and didn’t love them as much as other mothers did.

Since he could remember, he only recalled her disdain, so he didn’t like to be close to her.

He thought his younger brother was silly, always smiling like a fool whenever he saw her.

She would sometimes show affection towards Xiaobao, but if annoyed, she would quickly scold or even hit him if she was in a bad mood.

Cheng Xiaobao was upset for a moment when scolded, but quickly forgot about it.

He was the type to remember kindness but forget punishment.

This morning, when she said she would take him and Xiaobao to visit their sick grandparents in the city, he didn’t want to go.

But she insisted, and they ended up hitching a ride on a tractor halfway.

Instead of entering the county, they came to this village, where she left them to watch other children playing while she slipped into someone’s house.

She usually never looked directly at them, so why was she staring at him now? Although her gaze wasn’t affectionate, it also lacked the usual disdain and impatience.

In his mind, Xiaobao had been slapped and cried a little earlier because he had been picked on and needed to accompany Zhao’s family.

However, he’d already forgotten about it by the time he saw Jiang Lin and ran happily toward her.

Jiang Lin had started to get goosebumps all over her body when someone called her “mom” but had nearly turned and run off, yet there she was watching a pink blob running towards her,

Jiang Lin looked at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Aren’t we going to see Grandpa and Grandma?”

Jiang Lin looked at him.

Xiaobao didn’t understand anything, but he was a little devil.

She joked with him, “Maybe I should sell you both before we go.” It was better for people to gossip in the future than to joke.

Cheng Dabao’s face changed.

He immediately snatched Xiaobao back and stared at her angrily.

Xiaobao laughed like a silly deer.

He was probably counting money how much they we’re sold for.

Jiang Lin smiled. “Dabao are too fierce. People don’t want it. Xiaobao is too expensive. So I can only take you home first.” She waved her hand helplessly.

“Ha ha,” Xiaobao ran over and hugged her leg.

He smiled, looking up at his little white face, “Mother, how expensive am I?”

Jiang Lin pinched his nose. “Ten thousand yuan, they can’t afford it.”

Ten thousand yuan is a lot.

Xiaobao naturally didn’t understand.

Anyway, it was very expensive.

Xiaobao pointed to his brother, “What about Dabao?”

Jiang Lin snorted and glanced at Dabao, “He is so fierce that no one dares to buy him. So he has to be beaten.”

When she said that, Xiaobao thought she was joking.

Grown-ups in the countryside often tease children, saying they will be sent to someone’s home.

The children don’t take it seriously.

When Cheng Dabao saw Jiang Lin like this, he actually felt relieved.

If she really wanted to sell them, she wouldn’t say that.

In fact, Jiang Lin wanted to slip away with her children quietly, but her household registration was in Shuihuai Village, and she had no long-term identification or enough food and money.

She couldn’t leave her identity and take care of two children.

She had to go home first.

Their home was in Shuihuai Village next to the Hongqi Commune.

The buyer was the Dache Shop—a village under the Sangtang County suburb commune.

Now that it was midday, they had to hurry to the county and hitch a ride home.

Local economic conditions had improved significantly compared to before, with many communes owning tractors and trucks traveling to and from the county.

If lucky, they could hitch a ride when villagers were out running errands.

Seeing that Cheng Xiaobao was shorter than his brother, she picked him up.

This surprised not only Cheng Dabao but also Cheng Xiaobao.

Mom actually hugged him!

He was so happy!!!

Excitedly, he stretched his arms around Jiang Lin’s neck and nuzzled into her neck.

Jiang Lin: … Really like a little dog.

Cheng Dabao followed behind Jiang Lin, cautiously observing her.

She was smiling at them and even carrying Xiaobao while walking!

The sun was setting in the west! She used to despise them so much.

Her educated youth friend always said they were a stain, but he didn’t know what a stain was.

Anyway, it wasn’t a good word.

Jiang Lin didn’t know Cheng Dabao was so suspicious.

She walked ahead with Xiaobao in her arms, occasionally looking back at Dabao.

Dabao was taller than Xiaobao and walked briskly but quietly.

After leaving the village, Jiang Lin looked up and suddenly felt puzzled.

She looked up at the sun in the sky, feeling confused in her mind.

Why was the sun hanging in the north?

Logic told her that at this time, villages faced south, and the sun should definitely be in the south during the day.

However, she felt in her consciousness that it was in the north, an inexplicable feeling of confusion and discomfort.

Was it a side effect of her crossing over?

She was famously bad with directions, not daring to drive out at night and once getting lost in the neighborhood on a rainy night, unable to find her own home!

She was so stupid that she cried.

Based on her body’s memory, she knew the county was west, but she subconsciously walked east under the glaring sun.

Cheng Dabao looked at her silly wandering at the intersection and was a little confused, “What are you doing?”

Jiang Lin: “Let’s catch a ride to the county town.”

Cheng Dabao had heard the driver mention the county town that morning when he rode along.

He pointed in another direction, saying, “Let’s go that way!”

Jiang Lin: “…You know better than I do?”

She lifted her foot and started walking in the direction Cheng Dabao pointed.

The inn wasn’t far from the county town.

Along the way, they caught a horse-drawn cart heading into town to buy fertilizer, saving them some walking.

By the time they reached the supply and marketing cooperative, Jiang Lin’s dizziness and nausea had mostly subsided.

She thanked the people there with her child in tow and set off to find a ride to Hongqi Commune.

Many villagers and commune members were buying fertilizer, so anyone heading in that direction could catch a ride.

After asking around, she found that none of the carts were heading her way right now, so she decided to wait.

Conveniently, there was a state-owned restaurant next to the cooperative.

Seeing the restaurant empty, Jiang Lin’s stomach growled.

She asked Cheng Xiaobao, “Are you hungry?”

Cheng Xiaobao nibbled on his fingers and shook his head, “Not hungry.”

His mom was being really nice today, and as long as she was nice to him, he wasn’t hungry, even though his stomach kept growling.

Most villagers hardly ever ate out, but Jiang Lin didn’t want to go hungry.

She needed to reassure herself!

Cheng Dabao resisted, “We can’t eat at the restaurant!” In the village, adults bragged that if they had money, they would eat out in town.

Since his family had no money, how could they eat out? It would be wasteful!

Though Jiang Lin was also frugal, she had never suffered like this.

After all, there were plenty of modern goods to buy.

Besides,Mrs. Zhao gave her a few yuan, and she could still eat a meal and ease her worries.

The state-owned restaurant was small.

To Jiang Lin, it seemed as big as a palm and was hardly decorated—just white walls, mud floors, and a few shiny black tables and stools.

Outside hung a small blackboard listing a few menu items: noodle soup, steamed buns, and dumplings.

Leading her two children inside, Jiang Lin found a woman in a blue work uniform with a greasy white apron, dozing against the wall.

Without opening her eyes, the woman impatiently said, “Mealtime’s over, no food left.”

Anyone working in a state-owned unit at this hour, whether at the supply and marketing cooperative or the restaurant, was highly sought after and regarded themselves as superior.

Jiang Lin, drawing on her memory, understood the situation.

She sat Xiaobao on a stool and got Dabao to sit down too.

Then she walked over to the woman with a smile and said, “It’s hot summer, we don’t mind cold food. Just two steamed buns and dumplings will do. Look how hungry my two kids are.”

No matter when, women always had more patience and sympathy for kids like these.

The woman opened her eyes and saw Jiang Lin’s pretty face, fair and smooth skin, wearing a white polyester short-sleeved shirt on top, blue trousers underneath, and brand new cloth shoes on her feet.

She didn’t look like a country woman at all, more like someone from the city.

The woman immediately smiled and said, “I’ll make you a bowl of noodle soup.”

Jiang Lin replied, “Then also… three steamed buns.”

She originally wanted to say two, but thought they might as well eat until they were full.

Eating at the restaurant meant not only using ration coupons but also paying money, which meant pricey meals.

Three large steamed buns cost three taels and nine cents, a bowl of noodle soup cost two taels and six cents, and they also got a plate of pickled vegetables.

Cheng Xiaobao kept giggling foolishly.

His mom didn’t mind him and even carried him and bought him delicious food.

It was like a dream come true.

Cheng Dabao was too shocked to say anything.

Unfortunately, he was still young and didn’t understand.

He had no one to talk to and could only hold it in.

The vegetable tofu buns were filled with pork fat, fragrant and delicious.

The noodles were yellowish but much better than the bran or cornmeal they ate in the countryside.

The noodle soup had some dried shrimp and a few vegetables, refreshing and filling, perfect for cooling down in the summer.

Jiang Lin initially wasn’t attracted to this kind of meal, but hunger didn’t leave much room for pickiness.

After the two kids finished eating, she slurped down the large bowl of noodles with soup.

Delicious!

Seeing Cheng Dabao still holding onto a steamed bun without eating it, she joked, “If you’re not eating it, give it to me.”

Cheng Dabao pulled it back, “I’ll take it home!”

Jiang Lin thought to herself, I can see you’re a filial son.

Suddenly, a young man came in from outside, reached out and grabbed Jiang Lin’s arm, sounding both anxious and displeased, “Lilin, why didn’t you come find me? What’s going on with these two kids?”