Zhao Dong shouted in rage, "As the old saying goes, 'A kind mother raises dutiful children!' It's just kids fooling around. You keep scolding my Tongtong. They're both your granddaughters, Mother. If that's how you're going to act, then there's no point in me being filial!"
Today, I'll make it clear. I have only one daughter. If you don't care for her, I will. If anyone dares call my daughter a jinx again, I'll fight them to the death!"
Zhao Dong, who was usually even-tempered, was truly furious, and his anger was so intense that it frightened the gossiping women around, making them all fall silent.
Just then, the village chief's wife walked over. After hearing the whole story, she stood up and said, "Everyone, stop arguing and listen to me. I was there when the Zhao Dong family's daughter was born, and I know you've been saying it was ominous with all the lightning and thunder.
But think about it, wasn't there a drought in the village for a long time then? If it hadn't rained, the crops would have been bad that year. Coincidentally, Zhao Dong's daughter was born amidst thunder and lightning, bringing us much-needed rain.
If you ask me, she might just be a little star of good fortune. So stop spreading rumors!"
The village chief's wife held a lot of respect in the village. Once she spoke, even Mrs. Wang had to give some face, and nobody else dared to say anything.
Several families that had always been on friendly terms with the Zhao Dong family also spoke up for Zhao Dong, leaving Mrs. Wang no choice but to snort coldly and walk away sullenly. And so, the matter ended.
Zhao Zhitong, clinging to Sun Mei's leg, poked her little head out to look outside. Among the crowd of spectators were many girls her age, and Zhao Zhitong grinned at them.
Those little girls, seeing her at this moment, looked at her with envy, wishing they had such a loving father.
With Mrs. Wang gone, the spectators also dispersed, leaving only the village chief's wife and the eldest daughter-in-law of the village chief's family.
Seeing them, Zhao Zhitong quickly greeted sweetly, "Hello Mrs. Jin, hello Mrs. Tian."
"What a good girl." Mrs. Jin smiled at the spirited little girl, who seemed unharmed, and then asked Zhao Dong and Sun Mei, "Have you eaten yet?"
"We're just cooking." Zhao Dong nodded, recalling that the village chief's wife was surnamed Jin, known for her kindness and held in high regard in the village.
The other woman was the village chief's eldest daughter-in-law, surnamed Tian. She was straightforward and generous, and their two families had always had a good relationship, so he smiled and said, "Qiangshan, Leizi's sister-in-law, come in and sit."
Sun Mei also warmly smiled and said, "Qiangshan, Leizi's sister-in-law, come in, come in."
"No, no." Jin Suqin waved her hands with a smile, "You all seem busy."
While she was speaking, Tian Cuixia had already taken half a bag of flour from the cart behind her and said to Sun Mei, "My father-in-law knew you had just split from the family, so he asked my mother-in-law and me to bring some flour over for you."
Seeing it was flour, Zhao Dong and Sun Mei quickly refused, "We can't accept this, you should take it back."
Even in these peaceful times, life was still hard for rural families, and the village chief's family had many members, so Zhao Dong and Sun Mei instinctively felt they couldn't accept this.
Seeing them refuse, Tian Cuixia put on a stern face and said, "Don't refuse. You didn't get much when you split from the family. My father-in-law sent this with us to help. If I take it back, my father-in-law will definitely scold me."
Jin Suqin also smiled and urged them to take it.
Tian Cuixia, worried they might refuse again, added, "My father-in-law said to consider it a loan. You can pay us back after the autumn harvest."
Seeing they couldn't refuse, they had no choice but to accept it with deep gratitude.
Only then did Jin Suqin smile with satisfaction, "That's better. Don't stand on ceremony with us."
Suddenly, she sighed and said to Sun Mei, "Your elder brother's family with three kids is also pitiful. I wanted to help them too, but you know Ms. Zhu, nothing good falls to the kids."
Sun Mei recalled how her sister-in-law had treated her earlier, guessing that their relationship wasn't good, something the village chief's wife must have known.
However, Sun Mei just sighed along, not blaming her sister-in-law, and said at last, "We'll take better care of the three kids when we see them."
Hearing this, Jin Suqin smiled, "That's right, regardless of adult grievances, the children are innocent."
Zhao Dong didn't participate in the women's conversation. He took the flour to the kitchen and prepared to go fetch more water.
Sun Mei and the village chief's wife chatted a little more before the two finally wheeled their cart back home.
Zhao Zhitong loved listening to adults chat, finding it as fascinating as hearing stories. Seeing them leaving, Zhao Zhitong waved her little hand, bidding them farewell, "Goodbye, Mrs. Jin, Mrs. Tian. Come play next time."
Her little grown-up demeanor made Sun Mei chuckle, "You little kitten, look how dirty your face is. Come in with me and wash up properly."
——
By the time dinner was ready, the sky was getting dark. Zhao Dong had already filled two barrels of water and was sitting in the courtyard rubbing his legs. Seeing Sun Mei come out of the kitchen, he immediately laughed, "Wife, you've worked hard."
"Husband, you're the one who worked hard." Sun Mei scooped a basin of water for Zhao Dong to wash his hands, "Wash up, it's time to eat."
"Time to eat, time to eat," Zhao Zhitong cheerfully said, taking the chopsticks from Sun Mei's hands and setting them on the table one by one. Suddenly, she remembered something and said in her childish voice, "Mommy, I want milk."
"Bring it here, Mommy will pour it into a bowl for you."
With that, Zhao Zhitong obediently ran into the kitchen to get milk for Sun Mei.
Under the guidance of Zhao Dong and Sun Mei, and with Old Mr. Bai's mentoring in the space, Zhao Zhitong had learned to access items from the space without others noticing.
Oh, by the way, Old Mr. Bai is the manager of the space she has. Her space currently has the size of a basketball court.
Now it's barren, except for a small study that belongs to Old Mr. Bai and some supplies Sun Mei bought. There's nothing else inside.
Old Mr. Bai says the space can expand and grow plants, but she must become a person of great virtue for that to happen.
These are concepts four-year-old Zhao Zhitong can't grasp and doesn't really care about. In her words, this space is so big it's enough to hold all the milk she could ever want to drink in her lifetime.
Every time she says this, Old Mr. Bai can only sigh silently and comfort himself, thinking it'll be better as she gets older.
He was formed when a wisp of essence was infused into the space created by ancient powers, and he oversees the control of the space. If he wishes to transcend the Three Realms and ascend, he must rely on the merit accumulated by the space's bound host.
Since the space can only be bound to one host, he is extremely cautious in selecting a suitable soul.
He has traversed countless worlds in time and space, searching, but never found the right person. Finally, not long ago, he discovered a soul glowing with a sacred light. The person with this soul must either have great merit or be blessed with destiny's favor.