The children used to think of “fox spirits” as just something from stories.

But when they heard kids in Linjiatun calling their mother a fox spirit, they felt something was off.

When they got home, they asked their grandfather about it in detail, then went back to Linjiatun to stir up trouble, getting other kids to beat up the one who had said those things.

They also thought this aunt with the squinting eyes must be up to no good and might be trying to seduce their father.

They didn’t know why squinting eyes were associated with seduction, but they were sure this aunt wasn’t a good person.

As for their maternal uncle, they had heard from their grandmother Fang Dihua that he wasn’t a good sort, even worse than Zhao Meifeng.

Since both the aunt and uncle were bad, they figured the Great-Grandma must be bad too.

The Xie family had no idea that the kids had planned what to do today the night before.

The children feared their mother might feel too embarrassed to ask for her things back, so they decided to help out.

Adults might feel embarrassed, but kids don’t.

As soon as they entered, the children messed up Old Lady Xie’s plans, leaving her confused about how to respond.

The aunt couldn’t deny taking things from Lin Shu because Lin Shu was right there.

Denying it would mean falling out with Lin Shu, and she wouldn’t gain any benefits in the future.

She heard that Fang Dihua had changed her attitude towards Lin Shu, so Lin Shu must have some cloth and money now.

The aunt was envious that Lin Shu got her sewing machine back and even made clothes for people during the New Year.

The aunt didn’t visit because she feared Fang Dihua’s strong personality.

The old woman was too fierce and didn’t care about relatives’ faces, making it impossible for her to make a move.

The best situation would be if Lin Shu started interacting with her or went to Linjiatun.

Thinking this way, she couldn’t afford to fall out with Lin Shu.

She kept giving Lin Shu glances, signaling her to manage the children.

Lin Shu understood and lightly nudged the two kids. “What are you saying? Did your grandmother say that?”

Pan Pan said, “Yes, Grandma said she lent it to relatives because of your face.” He nudged Tian Tian.

Tian Tian continued, “Grandma said lending money is a matter of kindness, but relatives paying it back is their duty. If they don’t do their duty, then our kindness is gone.”

These were not things a six-year-old could come up with; they were clearly taught by the elderly.

The aunt and Old Lady Xie believed it.

Lin Xia was shocked.

These two kids were really something.

She couldn’t even think of such words herself.

Lin Yue was straightforward and didn’t know how to play these games, even though he was upset and wanted to confront the Sun family.

He was straightforward and blunt with his cousin’s wife.

He advised, “Cousin’s wife, you should return the money you borrowed from my sister. Sun Xiaohong has been hogging her sewing machine and hasn’t returned it yet. Look at what a mess it’s become.”

The room fell into an eerie silence.

The two kids nodded vigorously. “At that time, my dad wasn’t home, but now he is. He’ll come to pick up my mom later. My dad really loves my mom.”

Uncle’s wife shivered involuntarily. Could it be?

Was the Old Lu family so petty, to this extent?

She looked at Lin Shu, “Niece, that’s all part of your respect for your grandmother, right?”

Lin Shu did not answer but instead asked, “Is it?”

The original character, although weak and unable to refuse when asked for things, never proactively offered things as gifts.

The money and items were indeed casually “borrowed” by Uncle’s wife( Xie’s Eldest Son’s Wife ). Even the thick-skinned would at least make an attempt to present it as a loan. Usually, people would try to disguise it as a borrowing request, rather than just demanding it outright.

Old Lady Xie laughed, “Lin Shu, have you forgotten?”

The two kids immediately said they hadn’t forgotten and were thinking of their grandmother.

Xie Jinlan had been angered and wronged by the kids calling her a fox spirit earlier. She hoped Lin Shu would discipline the kids and set them straight. Instead, Lin Shu not only didn’t discipline them but allowed them to speak more freely.

Xie Jinlan was displeased.

Since Lu Shaotang wasn’t here, she felt no need to be polite.

She sneered, “Second Sister, during the New Year, are you here to dredge up old grievances or to make trouble? This doesn’t sound good. How can children be like this?”

Lin Xia replied, “These are all facts. What’s there to sugarcoat? We came to visit our grandmother. Is she not getting the IV today?”

“Wow, look how well the old lady can act. She even has cross-shaped adhesive bandages on her hand.”

Seeing that Lin Shu was controlling the conversation, Old Lady Xie felt uncomfortable and quickly changed the subject, calling for the family’s sons and daughters-in-law and children to come over.

Soon, the children of Jie Xinkui’s three brothers came running in, calling out cheerfully to their cousins, eager and excited.

Their parents had told them that today, their wealthy cousins and Auntie would come to give them New Year’s money.

A seven or eight-year-old niece asked, “Second Auntie, you work in the city. Does that mean your salary is very high?”

Another young boy asked, “Third Auntie, Uncle is in the army. Does that mean his salary is also very high?”

“Uncle, you drive a tractor. Do you earn a lot of money too?”

Xie Jinkui’s third younger sister-in-law, holding a baby, came over to join the crowd.

With a cloth wrapped around her head, she greeted everyone with a smile, “I’m just finishing my confinement period. We’ll be hosting the baby’s full moon celebration in a few days. You must come!”

Certainly, children should receive New Year’s money in the first month of the year, and one should bring a gift to a full moon celebration.

The expectation was rather optimistic.

Lin Xia was about to say it depended on the schedule since they were planning to return to the city in the next few days, but Tiantian interrupted, “Great-Grandma, I’m hungry. Hurry and give me some snacks. I always eat egg cakes at home. Do you have any here?”

The Xie family exchanged looks of disdain.

How had Lin Shu taught her children?

They were asking for food and drink as soon as they arrived?

Just then, a couple of neighbors, who had heard that the granddaughters of the old Xie family were visiting, came over to join the scene. They were intrigued by the children and the visitors.

Xie Eldest Son’wife, feeling awkward, explained to the neighbors with a forced smile, “Children will always be greedy. They’re just like that.”

But her expression spoke volumes: “Oh dear, the Lu family really doesn’t know how to raise children properly.”

The neighbors’ looks toward Lin Shu carried a hint of subtle judgment.

The eldest daughter-in-law muttered to the younger sisters-in-law, “They came to visit their grandmother, yet… they didn’t bring any New Year’s gifts?”

One would expect some meat, fish, or large steamed buns, especially during the New Year.

Surely there should be something nice?

The second daughter-in-law whispered, but loud enough for the neighbors to hear, “Maybe they gave money instead. Their second cousin works at a steel factory, and their third cousin’s husband is an officer. They should have money.”

Lin Shu smiled upon hearing this.

What’s the benefit of being related to you if you demean us?

It just makes the neighbors laugh at you for having a stingy and poor relative.

These people really lacked self-awareness.

At this moment, Panpan piped up, “When my Grandma Auntie came to my house, she said, ‘Oh, my legs are so tired. Quick, give me something to eat to fill my stomach. Yes, make me some scrambled eggs and hand-pulled noodles…’”

Xie Eldest Son’s wife’s face turned bright red and then purple. It was humiliating for an older person to have a child openly describe their greed and requests while visiting relatives.

She had lost all sense of shame.

The neighbors’ mouths fell open.

Although they didn’t speak, the thought was clear in everyone’s mind: “Oh, what a disgrace. How embarrassing for her to act like that at her son-in-law’s family. What must her in-laws think of her? Just look at how the children are imitating her. It’s obvious there’s no pretense.”

Xie Eldest son’s wife had previously boasted about the Lu family when she returned from Lu Jia Village, and everyone knew about it.

Her daughters-in-law felt embarrassed as well, adding to the overall discomfort.

Old Lady Xie had already started passing around sunflower seeds, trying to divert attention and force people to snack.

The topic quickly shifted.

In the end, the old lady pulled out a box of snacks from the cupboard, revealing a few pieces of pre-packaged egg cakes.

She handed them to Panpan and Tiantian, putting on a kindly expression, “Here, eat up. I saved these especially for you. When your mother and uncle came over when they were young, I saved some for them too.”

She said it so sweetly.

Panpan took a look and wrinkled his nose slightly, “Oh, they’re so dry and stale. They don’t look good at all.”

Both Panpan and Tiantian had a bit of a cleanliness obsession.

Though they weren’t very particular about food, it had to be fresh and clean. Old, dried-out egg cakes were definitely not appetizing.

Panpan then turned to Xie Eldest Son’s Wife and said, “Grandma-Aunt, please make us some noodles. You need to stir-fry some eggs, then add water to boil and cook the noodles. The way you described sounds so good. And remember to add more oil, don’t be stingy.”

Eldeson Son’s wife had hoped to enjoy a good meal and take advantage of the visit to get some gifts for her children.

However, she was quickly overwhelmed by the demands of Panpan and Tiantian.

Regardless of whether they were being properly attended to, the children’s constant chatter and demands kept putting pressure on her.

Panpan was relentless, “My Grandma-Aunt borrowed money from my family. Grandma says it must be repaid. If not, it would be a shame for the Xie and Lin families. Grandma says we can’t let relatives lose face.”

Tiantian chimed in, “Yes, and don’t forget about the cloth and cotton. They need to be returned too.”

Of course, the actual amount of cloth and cotton wasn’t that much—maybe half of what was claimed.

But for the children, who only remembered what Grandma had said, it was all about rounding up to make a point.