Lin Shu didn’t think much of the children’s secret but played along and asked, “What secret?”

Panpan looked up, laughing heartily without a trace of malice, like a little fool.

He said with a grin, “I dreamed that Dad came back and hugged Mom and kissed her.”

Lin Shu’s face turned bright red.

Children are innocent, and many adults in the countryside are quite blunt.

Some shameless women and men even intentionally tell children dirty jokes, just to see them innocently repeat such words with a serious face.

Lin Shu put down the big shovel and started tickling the little brat, “Who taught you that? Lu Panpan, I warn you, if you dare to kiss other girls casually, I’ll spank you!”

Panpan tried to run away, but Tiantian came over to help hold his muddy little feet.

Panpan shouted loudly, “No, no, I didn’t kiss anyone.”

Tiantian tripped him up, “You let Huahua kiss you.”

Lin Shu: “!!!”

So, at such a young age, you’re already using your charm?

Panpan protested, “No, no, she wanted to kiss me but I ran away. I told her boys and girls shouldn’t kiss. Grandpa said so!”

Grandpa had studied in a private school.

Although he was somewhat traditional, he knew how to educate children properly, so Lin Shu felt relieved.

Although there are videos online nowadays showing children kissing each other, Lu Panpan was different from others.

He was the big villain in the original story!

The big villain with peach blossoms flying everywhere!

She couldn’t let him attract too many peach blossoms.

Besides, in the countryside, many children start to mature early, often getting married by the age of fifteen or sixteen.

She didn’t want Tiantian and Panpan to end up like that!

The three of them were covered in mud.

Lin Shu looked at the setting sun and quickly called them to wash up, change into clean clothes, and then wash and hang up the dirty ones.

She first mixed pig feed with smashed sweet potato vines and fed the pigs, then went inside to prepare dinner.

The steamed cornbread was ready long ago.

She took each piece out of the pot with cold water, the golden cornbread still steaming and tempting.

She broke one and cooled it in a coarse ceramic bowl for the two kids to eat.

After picking up the cornbread, Lin Shu poured hot water from the pot into a blackened soup jar.

The water used for steaming the dry food was yellowed and a bit smelly from the straw, which made it less pleasant to drink.

However, since everyone wanted to save firewood, they made do.

Others often drank raw water in summer, but Lu’s father understood health practices and didn’t allow the family to drink raw water; it had to be boiled first.

Lin Shu stood at the door and glanced at the yard.

Since she hadn’t planted any leafy vegetables, No vegetables to eat.

It was late May, when various greens should be available, but the only crops at home were hardy and stew-friendly gourds.

The pumpkins had grown to the size of a palm, and the zucchinis were growing quickly with a few black and green ones hanging.

Other vegetables like cucumbers were still not ready.

Lin Shu picked three zucchinis.

She thought these were similar to zucchinis, called “fan gua” or “fang gua” locally, and were probably introduced from South America.

At this time, zucchinis were tastier than the later zucchinis, with a sweeter taste and less water.

They were very delicious when mixed with eggs and flour to make pancakes.

Of course, they needed oil. Without oil… they would have to be served cold.

To prepare the zucchinis, she shredded them, briefly blanched them in boiling water, drained the water, and added minced green onions, ginger, garlic, and a few chili peppers.

She then heated oil and poured it over the mixture, adding two spoonfuls of soy sauce, one spoonful of oyster sauce, a small spoonful of chicken seasoning, a bit of sesame oil, one spoonful of sugar, and one spoonful of vinegar.

It was mixed together to make a fresh and appetizing cold dish perfect for hot weather.

Unfortunately, there was only farmhouse soy sauce at home, so she added a few drops of sesame oil and garnished with minced onions, ginger, and garlic.

The two children stood by the cutting board, watching her curiously. “Mom’s making something we’ve never had before!”

It must be delicious!

Previously, zucchinis were usually cut into chunks, boiled in salted water, and used as soup.

Lin Shu gave them a little to taste.

Tiantian squinted her big eyes and said, “Mmm, it’s delicious!”

Panpan exaggeratedly widened his eyes and said, “Mom, your cooking is getting better and better! Dad will definitely like it!”

Lin Shu said, “I’ll tell Grandma to raise more chickens so I can make zucchini and egg pancakes for you.”

Panpan nodded eagerly, “I told you, Dad loves them too. Grandma will definitely raise more chickens.”

As night fell, Sister Lu and Second Sister Lu returned with their hoes.

Second Sister Lu said, “Sister, I twisted my wrist while hoeing.”

Sister Lu replied, “I’ll get some medicinal wine to rub on it later.”

Second Sister Lu said, “No need, but you might have to cook and fetch water for me.”

Recently, the Third Family had been lying idle, avoiding work, and the cooking and pig-feeding tasks, which were originally her responsibility, had been taken over by her in-laws.

Second Sister Lu was quite annoyed.

Not working in the fields was already too comfortable, and now she didn’t even have to cook or feed the pigs.

Did she really think she was the landlady?

Second Sister Lu was jealous of Lin Shu’s beauty and good fortune, having married the handsome and promising younger brother, with her in-laws favoring Lin Shu.

She looked down on Lin Shu’s personality, considering her foolish and soft, someone who could easily be bullied.

Usually, she would give Lin Shu a hard time, demanding her to do laundry or make shoes, or asking for things.

If Lin Shu refused, Second Sister Lu would immediately make things difficult for her.

“Stingy and petty,” Lin Shu’s thin skin was immediately taken aback by her criticism.

Now that Lu Shaotang was gone, seeing the original owner lying on the kang half-dead, Sister-in-law Lu Er felt a secret satisfaction.

She thought Lin Shu was finished.

Without the man, Lin Shu’s temperament would surely lead her to self-destruct in a few days.

Her own family had women with such meticulous minds—always overthinking, unable to let things go, eventually either dying from despair or becoming ill and dying.

She even secretly bet with her own sister.

She said Lin Shu might end up in a dead end, unable to get out, and would eventually self-destruct.

Her sister said Lin Shu was so pretty she wouldn’t be able to stay single for long and would quickly remarry.

While she privately harbored these messy thoughts, she was also jealous of Lin Shu lying in bed for several days without working.

Of course, she didn’t dare to show this on her face.

She had to pretend to be concerned and sympathetic, crying over the deceased brother-in-law while wiping her tears.

She truly felt sorry for her deceased brother-in-law.

He was handsome and made money.

Even though she had no feelings for him, she was quite attached to the money he sent home!

At noon, when her mother-in-law came home in a huff, Lu Er felt sure Lin Shu would get a scolding, probably a severe one.

Sister-in-law Lu Da said, “Well, I actually like cooking. I think I cook better than the third branch.”

Lu Er rolled her eyes inwardly. “Your cooking tastes like pig food, and you still have the nerve to say you cook well?”

Recently, the third branch hadn’t been working, and Sister-in-law Lu Da had taken on cooking for the whole family, ruining everyone’s meals.

In the end, it was still her and the mother-in-law who took turns cooking.

Sister-in-law Lu Da sighed and said with concern, “The third branch… sigh. The third branch has fallen like it was hit by a bludgeon. I don’t know when it will get back up.”

Although Fang Dihua and Old Lu refused to accept their son’s death, stubbornly avoiding the funeral, Lu Da felt that the person was probably dead.

Lu Er snorted, “Sister-in-law, you’re really kind-hearted. The third branch is probably just shirking work.”

Sister-in-law Lu Da replied, “That’s not possible. The third branch is an honest person.

Although she is a bit meticulous, she has deep feelings for the third branch.

Ah, such a good young man—if it were my family, I wouldn’t be able to stand it.

If it were your elder brother… sob… I’d have to jump into the river.”

As she spoke, Sister-in-law Lu Da’s eyes reddened, and she began to wipe her tears.

Lu Er looked at the coarse, dark-skinned, and plain-looking sister-in-law with a scornful eye.

The third branch’s affectation was bad enough, but why was the ugly one being so pretentious?

But she said, “Sister-in-law, don’t say that. Big brother is strong and healthy. You and your husband have a good relationship; you’ll surely grow old together.”

Sister-in-law Lu Da immediately brightened up and smiled. “Go home and rest. I’m strong.”

“Playing around, just like a game.”

As they neared home, Second Sister Lu tugged at Elder Sister Lu’s sleeve and whispered, “Mom is definitely going to scold the Third Branch when she gets home.

She’s probably crying her heart out by now. Be careful not to provoke her, or she might cling to you if she feels uncomfortable.”

Elder Sister Lu responded, “Huh? Mom is scolding her? Why? She should rest since she’s been ill because of the Third Family’s issues.”

Second Sister Lu rolled her eyes, thinking, “This person doesn’t understand a thing!”

She had hoped that Elder Sister Lu would join her in scolding Lin Shu and enjoy seeing her predicament, but instead… it was all so dull.

Second Sister Lu Er was eager to get home to see Lin Shu in tears and to mock her, thinking, “Let’s see how she cries like she’s performing in a play.”

She was sure it would infuriate Lin Shu even more.

When they entered the yard, Second Sister Lu Er hurried inside, and her eyes immediately turned red. “Third Family, you should try to be more open-minded.”

Her voice was full of fake sympathy.

Elder Sister Lu instinctively reached out to grab her, but missed.

She wanted to remind her that their in-laws had repeatedly instructed not to mention the younger brother’s issues at home to avoid making the children think their father was gone.

It was upsetting for them!

Second Sister Lu wiped her tears and rushed into the main room, only to find the two children sitting on small stools, eating cornbread and… vegetables?

The children turned their heads in unison, staring at her with large, shiny black eyes, just like Lin Shu’s.

Next to them, Lin Shu was also eating cornbread, commenting, “If this cornmeal were ground a bit finer, it would taste even better.”

Seeing Second Sister Lu enter with a crying expression, Lin Shu decided to take the initiative, “Second Sister, there’s still a big pot of cornbread. We have plenty, so you don’t need to cry.”

Lin Shu chose to preemptively address it.

Second Sister Lu stared in disbelief at the room, seeing Lin Shu’s large, bright eyes looking neither like a mess nor the old, sulking version.

Instead, Lin Shu looked relaxed and attractive, no longer the submissive type she used to be!

What was wrong?

Could it be… that Mother-in-law gave her the money?

The thought made Second Sister Lu feel both sour and angry.

The money was supposed to be for the family, not just for her!

Seeing that Lin Shu was fine, Elder Sister Lu breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “Third Family, you’re okay! Second Sister was worried you might be crying your heart out and rushed back to check on you.”

Second Sister Lu added with dissatisfaction, “Elder Sister, I was just concerned about Third Family.”

Elder Sister Lu seemed clueless, directly repeating what had been said privately, which made the situation awkward as if she enjoyed the drama.

Lin Shu stared at them with her clear, beautiful eyes, realizing Elder Sister Lu’s innocence and Second Sister Lu’s scheming.

It was obvious that Second Sister Lu had come back hoping to see Lin Shu’s misfortune.

Elder Sister Lu said, “Second Sister, Third Family has finished cooking. You don’t need to worry.”

Second Sister Lu thought, “How dare you call me Second Sister!”

Seeing Lin Shu’s slightly mocking smile made her even angrier, and she immediately wanted to take advantage of the situation, just like before.