Chapter 21

Zhang Qinfang: “…”

Qian Aifen: “…”

Lin’s mother: “…”

Although the situation wasn’t as exaggerated as the third daughter-in-law described, upon careful consideration, there was some truth to it.

If something happened to Guodong, she wouldn’t want to live anymore. “The third daughter-in-law is right. Second daughter-in-law, you should apologize to everyone.”

Zhang Qinfang felt thoroughly embarrassed today. When she kneeled down to beg forgiveness from her mother-in-law, she thought it wasn’t too shameful since she was kneeling before an elder. When apologizing to Ning Shu, she thought it wouldn’t be too bad to just say sorry. But now she had to apologize to the two children too?

She gritted her teeth.

Ning Shu continued, “Since you don’t want to apologize, then you can leave. I happen to be going to the county town tomorrow anyway, so…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but Lin’s mother knew what had happened at the old house at noon from Lin’s mother’s mouth.

She was sure that by saying this, Zhang Qinfang would think she was going to report it to the police.

“I apologize,” Zhang Qinfang hastily interrupted Ning Shu, afraid she might mention reporting to the police.

As expected, Ning Shu knew it would turn out like this. So she raised her eyebrows and looked at her.

With no other choice, Zhang Qinfang’s face was as dark as charcoal. “Third sister-in-law, I’m sorry… Mom, I’m sorry…” Finally, she looked at Yibao and Erbao. “Yibao, Erbao, I’m sorry.”

Yibao and Erbao were confused. They looked at Ning Shu.

Yibao asked, “Mom, why does Second Auntie say sorry to us?”

Zhang Qinfang wished she could just disappear when Yibao asked this, but since Ning Shu hadn’t forgiven her, she couldn’t leave.

Ning Shu patted Yibao’s little head and said, “We should live with a clear conscience. Although we don’t necessarily have to do good deeds, we definitely shouldn’t do bad ones. Speaking ill of others behind their backs is doing a bad deed. The other day when I wasn’t here, your second aunt said in front of you that I didn’t like you and asked your dad to find you a new mom. That’s speaking ill of others behind their backs, that’s doing a bad deed. Understand?”

Yibao nodded. “I understand, Mom. I won’t speak ill of others behind their backs in the future.”

“Well done, Yibao,” Ning Shu praised generously.

“Mom, do you like us? Do you like me and my brother? Do you like Sanbao?” Erbao’s focus was obviously different.

However, asking such a question with such a focus made Yibao hold his breath and look at his mom too.

Grandma said that mom started treating them well because she began to like them. He also wanted to hear his mom say she liked them, but he didn’t dare ask.

Ning Shu didn’t expect Erbao to ask such a question, but she responded quickly, “Yes, I do like you.”

Although there were reasons for this liking. First, all three children were very well-behaved.

Even Sanbao, who was only 11 months old, was well-behaved. So, regardless of whether they were her own sons or just strangers, neighbors’ children, or kids from the internet, Ning Shu would like them. After all, who doesn’t like well-behaved children?

Secondly, after spending these past few days together, she had grown to really like their personalities.

If she initially liked them just for their good behavior, now with their personalities added in, her liking for them had become even more heartfelt.

“Really? Really?” Erbao’s eyes lit up.

Yibao also grinned, his bright eyes turning red, but he kept them wide open, not wanting the tears to fall.

As for Sanbao… he was happily crawling around by himself, content in his own little world.

“Really,” Ning Shu affirmed. “But you have to be good and obedient. If you’re obedient, I’ll always like you and be a good mom, making you new clothes and delicious food. How about that?”

“Okay, I’ll always listen to Mom,” Yibao thought. As long as Mom liked them, it didn’t matter if she didn’t make them new clothes or cook delicious food for them.

“I like Mom the most,” Erbao, at such a young age, had learned to sweet talk.

Lin’s mother looked at them, smiling with relief. Regardless of whether what the third daughter-in-law said was true or not, if she was willing to indulge them, she was happy.

However, she asked, “Third daughter-in-law, what about the second daughter-in-law?”

Ning Shu nodded. “Yibao, Erbao, now that your second aunt has apologized to you, are you willing to forgive her?”

Yibao and Erbao were a bit puzzled again. They looked at their second aunt, then at their mom, and then said in unison, “We’ll listen to Mom.” They wanted to be good and obedient children.

Quick learners, they were truly intelligent children. Ning Shu didn’t beat around the bush either. “Well, if that’s the case, then I can forgive you too, but there’s a condition.”

“What condition? I… I don’t have any money,” Zhang Qinfang hurriedly asked.

Ning Shu rolled her eyes. “With the men in our family gone, and an acre of sweet potatoes to harvest, me and the three kids can’t manage it alone. Since you’ve apologized, show some sincerity and harvest those sweet potatoes.”

Zhang Qinfang thought she knew what was coming. Since the division of the family, wasn’t it always the responsibility of the third household to tend to the self-owned land on this side of the old house? However, when it came time to harvest, it was always Lin’s father taking Lin Guofeng and Lin Guoliang.

Now, asking her to harvest sweet potatoes wasn’t so simple, was it? She could just go when Lin’s father took the others. “Alright, sister-in-law, don’t worry, I’ll definitely harvest them.”

The reason Lin’s father only took Lin Guofeng and Lin Guoliang was that Lin Guodong had already separated from the family.

He could take his two sons to work, but he couldn’t take his daughters-in-law.

Lin’s mother understood Ning Shu’s implication. “To show your sincerity in apologizing, you’ll harvest the sweet potatoes alone.” The second daughter-in-law needed a lesson.

What? Alone? Although an acre wasn’t much, harvesting and picking sweet potatoes alone would take at least three days.

Zhang Qinfang hadn’t expected her mother-in-law to intervene like this. She was furious.

“I understand,” she gritted her teeth.

What could she do? She’d just take Lin Guoliang and the kids with her when the time came.

She’d go in the middle of the night so the third sister-in-law wouldn’t see.

“With this apology, our family accepts it. I represent myself, as well as Yibao and Erbao, in forgiving you,” Ning Shu said expressionlessly.

“Then… then I’ll leave.” Now that things were settled, Zhang Qinfang had no face to stay any longer.

She turned and left without looking back.

“Mom, can we harvest the sweet potatoes now?” Yibao asked, seeing Mom asking the second aunt to harvest sweet potatoes for them.

“Not yet, next month. They still have some time to grow,” Ning Shu replied.

“When the village starts harvesting sweet potatoes, me and Erbao will go pick the small ones,” Yibao suggested.

During the busy farming season, children from every household would go to the fields to “pick leftovers.”

The small sweet potatoes they picked were theirs.

Some adults even had tricks, wearing clothes with large pockets sewn inside, so they could fill them with sweet potatoes when they finished work.

This was a common practice that everyone understood, making it a civilized form of “picking leftovers.”

But compared to picking small sweet potatoes, children preferred when the corn was harvested, mainly for the cornstalks. Cornstalks contained some sugar, so the slightly sweet cornstalks were used by children as a substitute for sugarcane.

While adults prefer the harvest of rice, when the rice is ripe, they can pick the rice grains. They can also use the trick of “picking” rice grains with their clothes. In a few days, it’s no problem to gather around ten kilos.

“Okay, when you go to pick sweet potatoes, I’ll cook meat for you,” Ning Shuhao said confidently.

“I… I can also help Sanjie pick sweet potatoes with Yibao and Erbao,” Lin Haicai said weakly.

Subconsciously, can I eat meat?

Ning Shu smiled and said, “If you pick sweet potatoes for our family, I’ll cook meat for you too.”

“Really?” Thinking of the dishes he just ate, the gleam in Lin Haicai’s eyes almost blinded his mother. “Sanjie’s cooking is delicious.”

Qian Aifen: “… Is your mother’s cooking not delicious?”

Lin Haicai, who had not been subjected to social scrutiny, honestly said, “Not delicious, Sanjie’s cooking is delicious.”

Ning Shu’s cooking skills were indeed good. She helped her grandmother cook when she was young, and when she grew up and lived alone, her cooking skills were developed in this way.

Especially her grandmother’s cooking skills were very good. When she was young, she followed a traveling theater group and was the cook in the theater group, so she could make one or two dishes from many places.

Ning Shu learned by observing and imitating.

Another point is that Ning Shu’s dishes were delicious because she was willing to use oil, which people in this era were generally reluctant to use.

Qian Aifen couldn’t help laughing: “Then you should consider making a son for Sanjie.”

“Can I?” Thinking that he could live with Yibao and Erbao, eat together, and pick chestnuts together, he felt very happy.

“Ask if your Sanjie agrees?” Qian Aifen jokingly asked. In fact, it was also a way to get closer to Ning Shu.

Although Ning Shu was selfish, she was not antisocial. She wasn’t a solitary person. If she could make friends, why would she isolate herself? Qian Aifen was quite interesting, sensible, and knew how to give others face, and Ning Shu responded accordingly: “I agree, who would mind having more sons in the family?”

This was said in the tone of the original owner. Otherwise, there would be no reason for her to agree, which would be inconsistent with the original owner’s character. But if it’s not objected to having more sons, that would also make sense.

“Really? Then should I call Sanjie mother from now on?” Lin Haicai asked foolishly. Actually, he was a bit reluctant to his mother, but he thought it didn’t matter.

If he became a child of Sanjie’s family, he could still visit his mother in the old house and have meals with her. Yibao and Erbao often went there.

Pfft… Qian Aifen couldn’t help but laugh: “You heartless little brat.”

“Don’t tease him.” Lin’s mother was helpless. This grandson of hers was particularly honest, but fortunately Yibao and Erbao would take care of him.

With so many siblings in the future, even if his personality remained the same when he grew up, with so many siblings, no one could bully him.

It was time to show solidarity. With so many family members, standing up would have a strong presence.

After Lin’s mother and Qian Aifen finished peeling the chestnuts with Ning Shu, they said they were leaving.

“Wait a moment,” Ning Shu said. She went into the house and brought out three fragrant pears. “Mom, sister-in-law, Haicai, try these.”

“I don’t need it. The apple you gave me yesterday is still here,” Lin’s mother said.

“I don’t need it either. Keep it for the kids to eat. We adults don’t need these,” Qian Aifen also declined.

Ning Shu didn’t like owing people favors. She had to use the tone of the original owner and said, “Just take them, so it won’t be said that I’m not appreciative and only take advantage of people. You helped me peel chestnuts, so I’m treating you to pears. Let’s be clear about it.”

Lin’s mother: “…”

Qian Aifen: “…”

In the end, Lin’s mother and Qian Aifen left with Lin Haicai, taking the three pears with them.