"You silly child, always talking nonsense. If I don't love you, who else would I love?" Sun Shi gave Yang Ruoqing a playful glare.
Yang Ruoqing grinned. "Of course you love me, I was just teasing you!"
Then, suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Mom, now that our family has split off, when are we going to Grandma's to bring my two younger brothers home?"
It had been several days since she arrived in this world. Other than meeting some cousins from her second uncle's side and her sixth aunt, she hadn't seen her two younger brothers yet.
To be honest, Yang Ruoqing was quite eager to finally meet her biological siblings. In her past life, she was an orphan, completely alone in the vast world.
She didn't know where she came from, nor where she was going.
But now, she had a father, a mother, and younger brothers—a complete and loving family.
However, upon hearing her suggestion, Sun Shi's smile dimmed a little. She lowered her eyes without saying anything and let out a sigh.
Yang Ruoqing, who was especially sensitive to people's moods, quickly slowed her pace and asked gently, "Mom, don't keep sighing like that. What's wrong?"
Sun Shi looked up at her and replied, "I was planning to bring them back as soon as we split from the main household, but our new home has nothing right now. Cold Dew is just around the corner, your father can't work in the fields, and it's up to you and me to quickly plant the rapeseed. Better to wait until that's done, then we'll go get the boys."
Yang Ruoqing nodded in agreement. Her mother had a point. Right now, their little home was barely set up and lacked the most basic things.
Even her washbasin was still being shared with Sun Shi and Yang Huazhong. As for eating utensils, they were gifted by Aunt Dayun—break one, and they'd be short one.
It made sense to wait until things were more settled and the fieldwork eased up before bringing her two younger brothers home.
While chatting, the mother and daughter made their way into the village. Along the way, villagers—various aunts and relatives—were surprised to see the previously crazy and foolish Yang Ruoqing now obediently following Sun Shi around.
Many of them greeted Sun Shi and teased Yang Ruoqing. She smiled faintly and didn't respond much, while Sun Shi didn't bother to explain anything, letting them guess and gossip as they pleased.
After winding through several narrow alleys, they finally arrived home, entering through the side gate.
"Mom, I'll take care of putting these things away. You should go check on Dad!"
Yang Ruoqing took the farm tools and pine needles, placing them to the side as she urged Sun Shi.
They'd been out all morning, and her father might be thirsty or holding it in—nature's calls wait for no one.
As a girl, it wasn't appropriate for her to help him with such things. It was better left to her mother.
Sun Shi understood right away and went into the house without delay.
Yang Ruoqing glanced at the lock on her room door. Seeing no signs of tampering, she was relieved and began tidying up.
She piled the pine needles by the kitchen hearth, took the tools to the storage shed across the yard, then knelt by the well in the courtyard to wash the nettles and other edible wild greens they had picked.
Once clean, she took the greens into the kitchen, grabbed a small iron pot, measured out two handfuls of rice, and carefully removed each grain of husk after rinsing it clean. Then she added water and placed it on the stove.
She grabbed a handful of pine needles and used them to start the fire under the small stove, then added some harder firewood to let the rice cook slowly.
With the rice on the stove, she returned to the well and continued washing the nettles.
"Whoa, isn't that stinging nettle? Fatty Girl, what are you doing with all that stinging nettle? That stuff's not edible!"
It was Liu Shi, walking toward the outhouse while cradling her belly. From a distance, she saw Yang Ruoqing squatting by the well washing nettles and couldn't stop herself from giggling behind her hand.
Yang Ruoqing kept her head down, focused on washing the greens, treating Liu Shi as if she didn't exist.
Liu Shi snorted. "Even pigs won't eat that stuff. You are a complete idiot."
Yang Ruoqing lifted her head, narrowed her eyes at Liu Shi, then gave a slow-witted grin. "Fourth Aunt... piggy with a big belly… doesn't eat grass…"
Liu Shi paused mid-step and glared at Yang Ruoqing.
What was that supposed to mean?
Was that idiot insulting her?
Just as she was about to lash out, Sun Shi emerged from Yang Huazhong's room.
"Fourth Sister-in-law, what's going on?"
Sun Shi had heard the commotion from inside and came out to check. Just in time to see Liu Shi shooting daggers at her daughter with her eyes.
Sun Shi might be a pushover, even silent in front of her mother-in-law, Tan Shi, but she wasn't foolish.
If someone bullied her daughter, she wasn't going to just stand by and watch—especially if the offender was her sister-in-law!
"Third Sister-in-law, you came just in time. I was about to tell you," Liu Shi pointed at Yang Ruoqing, still squatting at the well, and raised her voice, "Your Fatty Girl just called me a pig! You'd better teach her some manners!"
Sun Shi glanced at Yang Ruoqing, then turned to Liu Shi with a calm smile and asked, "Fourth Sister-in-law, did you mishear her? You know what my Qing'er is like—she can't even speak clearly. How could she possibly insult you?"
"I'm not making it up, Third Sister-in-law. She called me a pig just now!" Liu Shi insisted.
"Oh? Then tell me, what exactly did my daughter say?" Sun Shi asked patiently.
"I said that nettles are something even pigs won't eat, and she said I'm a pig!" Liu Shi fumed.
Sun Shi chuckled, shook her head, and gently advised, "Fourth Sister-in-law, I think you're reading too much into it. My daughter probably just found what you said funny and repeated it, but didn't get the words right. She certainly didn't mean to insult you. Let's not argue with a child."
"Oh, come on, Third Sister-in-law, don't make it sound like I'm being unreasonable!" Liu Shi's face flushed red with anger. "I've been part of the Yang family for years—am I the type to pick petty fights? So now I get insulted by a mentally slow junior, and I have to swallow it? Is that how it is?"
Still squatting by the well, Yang Ruoqing frowned and was about to stop pretending and give her Fourth Aunt a proper tongue-lashing when an unmistakable voice cut in at just the right moment.
"Fourth one, are you a pig? How do you know pigs won't eat nettles?"
It was Tan Shi, her domineering voice sharp as ever, striding in with a scowl. She didn't wait for Liu Shi to answer and immediately began berating her.
"You lazy mule! Running off to the outhouse in the middle of cooking lunch—how long do you plan on taking that crap? The meal's only half done, and you left the spatula to your eldest sister-in-law! Is this big family supposed to go hungry now?"
Liu Shi shrank back in terror, her face going pale. She quickly plastered on a smile. "Mother, don't be mad, I'm going back now!"
Without even finishing her business in the outhouse, she turned and scurried back to the front kitchen.
Sun Shi was startled too and kept her head low, saying nothing. Tan Shi's sharp eyes swept over both Sun Shi and Yang Ruoqing, then lingered on the nettles in Ruoqing's hands.
She snorted coldly. "A pair of worthless wastrels!"
(Author's note: Things have been a bit hectic lately. Starting tomorrow, expect more chapters!)
(End of Chapter)