Lin Mu asked with concern, inquiring about any illnesses or IV treatments.

Lin Shu replied, “Everything’s fine, no cough, no headache, no fever. By the way, my aunt returned the money and the cloth and cotton she borrowed before.”

Lin Shu left the cotton and cloth for Lin Mu, as she had distributed the supplies last year.

She received quite a few cloth tickets as rewards, so she wasn’t lacking at all.

Lin Mu refused to take them, insisting she should take them back.

Lin Xia suggested that Lin Shu could take them back as well, but advised not to let her mother-in-law ask for them again later.

Lin Fu took out the wine jug to warm the wine and wanted to have a couple of drinks with his son-in-law.

Lin Shu saw the tea tray and teapot on the kang table and asked, “Did you have guests today?”

Lin Mu replied, “Your second aunt came.”

Lin Shu asked, “Second aunt came? Her cousin didn’t come back today?”

Lin Mu said, “No. Oh.”

Lin Shu looked at her and asked, “Then why didn’t you let the second aunt stay the night?”

Lin Mu said, “Your second aunt… is so thin, she looks like skin and bones. I don’t think her health is very good.”

Lin Shu replied, “She’s never had enough to eat, never had anything good to eat.”

“There’s a bit of good food, and it’s used to feed my big brother and sister-in-law. How could she be good?”

Thinking about her second uncle and second aunt’s situation, Lin Xia, who was initially pleased with the children helping Lin Shu get the money back and the meal of hand-pulled noodles from Da Jiu Ma, lost her smile.

Lin Xia said to Lin Mu, “Mom, my second uncle and second aunt have been brainwashed by my maternal grandparents so badly. Be careful not to be manipulated by them, or our family’s life might end up like theirs.”

Lin Mu initially thought her second daughter’s words were harsh and lacking in compassion but was drawn to the unfamiliar terms. “What do you mean by brainwashing and manipulation?”

Lin Xia glanced at Lin Shu and explained those terms in her own understanding to ensure Lin Mu could understand.

After all, Lin Mu wasn’t as educated or insightful as Lin Xia.

Lin Xia learned quickly, but Lin Mu didn’t.

As expected, Lin Mu didn’t acknowledge being brainwashed since childhood.

She said, “How can children not feel sorry for their parents? Your maternal grandparents had a tough time. They didn’t even have two acres of land but had to support a whole family. Your grandfather never got to eat a piece of pig’s head meat before he died.”

As she spoke, she started to wipe away tears.

Tiantian handed her a small handkerchief to wipe her tears.

Panpan said, “Great Aunt eats very well, much better than us. She has a big box of egg cakes. Look at my big cousin, he’s fat and white. Oh, my second uncle and second aunt are as thin as the old locust tree bark in the yard, all dark and wrinkled, even older than my great aunt.”

Lin Mu was distressed, thinking not just of the second uncle and second aunt, but also the second sister.

Their rough hands and appearance were a generation worse, looking even more wrinkled than an old lady of seventy or eighty.

She hadn’t wanted to say it before, but now she couldn’t help but tell her daughter and son, “Your second aunt doesn’t even have a pair of decent shoes.”

Lin Mu gave her an old pair of cotton shoes.

She glanced at Lin Shu with a bit of guilt, as the new cotton shoes were bought with her daughter’s help.

Lin Shu said, “Mom, when you give things to my second aunt in the future, make sure it’s fair. Don’t let my elder aunt take the good stuff away.”

Lin Mu sighed, “Those old cotton shoes are quite worn out, patched up several times. Your elder aunt wouldn’t take them.”

She took out a small black patchwork cloth bag from the kang (a traditional bed-stove), “Your grandmother knows that your second aunt has a bad stomach, so she sent a pound of millet to make porridge for her stomach. And when your cousin heard I was in the hospital, your grandmother had your second aunt come to see me, insisting on giving the millet to me.”

Seeing Lin Mu’s moved and tearful expression, Lin Yue also felt a pang of emotion, and Lin Fu felt heartache too.

Lin Shu and Lin Xia exchanged glances, unable to say anything.

Lu Shaotang, however, remained silent, uninterested in the domestic affairs.

Tiantian and Panpan were busy helping their grandmother and grandfather wipe their tears.

Lin Xia, unable to hold back, wanted to criticize her parents for being overly kind-hearted.

Lin Shu signaled her to keep quiet.

Lin Mu was deeply moved, feeling sentimental about her own mother and her second aunt’s concern.

If Lin Xia said that her mother was being manipulative, she wouldn’t be able to accept it.

She’d only think that Lin Xia lacked empathy.

The millet was real.

Kind-hearted people often believe that everyone else is as kind as they are.

They cannot see the hidden blades behind some people’s outwardly thin kindness.

Her kindness was pure and sincere, without sharp edges.

During the meal, Lin Mu continuously served meat to Panpan and Tiantian, urging them to eat more.

Lin Xia had originally wanted to brag about eating hand-made noodles from her elder aunt’s family for the first time in her life and how they had taken the pancakes back without giving anything in return.

But now she didn’t dare to mention it.

Lin Mu, feeling sorry for her own mother, would only feel more distressed if Lin Xia mentioned taking advantage of her mother.

After the meal, Lu Shaotang took the initiative to clean up the dishes.

Lin Yue saw this and helped his brother-in-law wash the pots and dishes.

Lin Mu and Lin Fu hurriedly said it wasn’t necessary and that they shouldn’t let their son-in-law do housework.

Lu Shaotang said, “It’s fine, Mom, you and Dad relax and chat.”

Panpan said, “Grandma, you care about your mother, and my second aunt and mom care about their mothers too. Come on, I’ll give you some candy.”

His candy wasn’t given to just anyone.

Lin Mu, hearing this seemingly simple statement from the child, thought about her own feelings of caring for her mother.

Both daughters were heartbroken for their own reasons.

The second daughter, having divorced, couldn’t help much at home.

The third daughter’s husband had passed away, leaving her unable to offer much support either.

The eldest daughter’s family wasn’t doing well recently, and Lin Mu felt that not adding to their troubles was already a significant help.

Her pity for her own mother was now divided into several parts.

It is often said that raising children makes one appreciate their parents’ hardships, but raising children also scatters the love and concern for one’s parents.

She went back to the kang and offered red date cakes to everyone.

Tiantian told Lin Mu that her second uncle and second aunt looked pitiful.

“They work with their hands frozen, the house is like an ice cave, and their cotton pants are all torn and ragged… They’re so dirty and thin, they look like beggars without a mother.”

“My big cousin is dressed like someone from the city, with brand-new clothes and looking plump and healthy.”

“The place where my second uncle lives is even smaller than our straw shed. My grandparents definitely wouldn’t let my second uncle live like that. Mom, was my second uncle picked up by my great-grandmother?”

Lin Mu was startled, “Back then, we were poor. Every household was struggling to have enough to eat.”

When it comes to gifts, the focus should be on following the customary practices of visiting relatives.

Lin Shu told Lin Mu, “Mom, Lin Yue will definitely need to find a partner later, and we’ll need to prepare for things like the bride price. Bao’er’s going to be around you, and as he grows, expenses for food, clothing, education, and everything will increase. You need to be prepared.”

Lin Mu replied, “Don’t worry. I’ve got it under control. I won’t be like your second aunt. I know what I’m doing.”

Though she was distressed, she remembered her mother-in-law’s advice.

Her mother-in-law had said on her deathbed, “It’s fine to feel sorry for your own family, but you should follow the general rules. If you use my son and grandchildren to support your family, you won’t even be buried in the Lin family’s cemetery when you die. See if the Xie family will let you return.”

Lin Mu understood clearly that while she was a member of her own family as a daughter, once married with children, she belonged to the Lin family.

After her death, she would be buried in the Lin family’s ancestral graveyard, alongside the Lin ancestors, and her own family would have no place there.

No matter how much she cared, it was just about sending a bit of food and drink to her own mother; she wouldn’t jeopardize the fundamental family responsibilities.

Seeing this, Lin Xia was quite surprised and laughed, “Mom, you’re impressive. You weren’t brainwashed.”

Lin Shu added, “Our mother was actually brainwashed the other way around by Grandma.”

Lin Mu scolded playfully, “I see you’re trying to confuse me with nonsense.”

She felt that any so-called brainwashing was just confusing talk.

If they could make her confused and compliant, then it worked.

Lin Mu was just kind-hearted and felt sorry for her own parents, but she wasn’t truly foolish.

The little millet that the second sister brought was infested with bugs and clumped together.

She wouldn’t eat it but knew that her second sister would cherish it.

After all, her second sister usually ate sweet potatoes and cornmeal.

Old Lady Xue didn’t care about such things.

She gave the infested millet to her second sister, and in return, the second sister would likely send back several pounds of good grain to Old Lady Xue.