“Sister-in-law, that’s not right.” Lin Wanqiu grabbed her hand. “These vegetables are from seeds my mother left me. I planted them myself in the yard, and only a few survived. I wanted to give Niannian some vitamins. Besides, I can give these vegetables to whoever I want. Do I need to report to you, sister-in-law?”

Zhang Lan was speechless for a moment, then became even more aggressive: "The seeds your mother left you? How come I don't know? You must be lying! You probably stole these vegetables! Let me tell you, if you dare to steal anything, I'll report you to the brigade headquarters and have the secretary arrest you!"

"Stealing?" Lin Wanqiu sneered. "Sister-in-law, you need evidence to speak. You accuse me of stealing, but where's the evidence? If you don't have evidence, you're framing me! I'll not only report you to the brigade headquarters for framing an innocent person, but I'll also let the whole village know that you, Zhang Lan, actually lied and framed me just to steal my vegetables!"

Zhang Lan hadn't expected Lin Wanqiu to be so eloquent, and felt a little flustered, but she still stubbornly insisted, "I... I don't have any evidence, but the vegetables you brought here are suspicious, there's definitely something wrong with them! You have to hand over the vegetables today, or I'm not leaving!"

As she spoke, she sat down on the ground and began to throw a tantrum: "My life is so miserable! I'm stuck with such a selfish and self-centered sister-in-law who doesn't share good things with her family and even tries to frame me! What's the point of me living? I might as well be dead!"

Startled by her appearance, Shen Nian'an hid behind Lin Wanqiu and began to cry softly, "Mother, I'm scared..."

Lin Wanqiu tenderly hugged her son, her eyes icy cold: "Zhang Lan, don't throw a tantrum here! Let me tell you, these vegetables are mine, and I won't give them to you! If you dare to cause trouble here again, I'll drag you out and let the whole village see your ugly face!"

Zhang Lan hadn't expected Lin Wanqiu to be so assertive, and felt a little scared, but she still didn't want to give up: "You... don't think I'll be afraid of you just because you're like this! I'm your sister-in-law, do you dare to lay a hand on me? Believe me, I'll get my mother to deal with you!"

"Your mother?" Lin Wanqiu sneered. "Your mother came to steal my grain last time, and I shut her up. What? You want her to embarrass you again this time? If she dares to come, I'll tell the whole village about her pushing me into the river, and let everyone judge whether it's her fault as the mother-in-law or me as the unfilial daughter-in-law!"

Zhang Lan's face changed instantly upon hearing the words "pushed into the river." She knew about Old Lady Shen pushing Lin Wanqiu into the river, but had never dared to say it. Now that Lin Wanqiu had exposed her, she was both flustered and afraid. She no longer dared to make a scene, and could only slowly get up from the ground, pat the mud off her clothes, and whisper, "I... I was just joking with you, don't take it seriously. I have something to do, I'll go first."

After saying that, she turned to run, but just as she reached the door, she smelled a strong aroma of eggs. She stopped abruptly and turned back to look at the stove: "What...what is that smell? It's eggs! Lin Wanqiu, you're actually boiling eggs!"

Lin Wanqiu's heart sank. She had been so focused on dealing with Zhang Lan that she had forgotten about the eggs boiling in the pot. Now, the aroma of the eggs wafted out, and there was no way to hide it anymore. She decided to stop pretending, lifted the lid, and revealed the golden eggs inside: "So what if they are? I bought these eggs with my own savings to help Niannian grow stronger. If you want some, go buy them yourself, don't try to take my things."

Zhang Lan stared wide-eyed at the eggs in the pot, her mouth watering: "You...you actually have eggs! Lin Wanqiu, you've gone too far! We're almost starving, and you secretly boiled eggs for yourself and didn't even share with us! Don't you have any respect for us, your family?"

"Family?" Lin Wanqiu sneered. "Sister-in-law, how dare you call yourself family? When Niannian and I were starving last time, why didn't you think of sharing some food with us? When Dabao was eating steamed eggs, why didn't you think of leaving a bite for Niannian? Now that you see me cooking eggs, you want a share? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

Zhang Lan was speechless, but she still couldn't bear to give up the eggs. She stepped forward and reached for the eggs in the pot: "I don't care! You have to give me a few eggs today, or I won't leave!"

Lin Wanqiu reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist and tightening her grip: "Sister-in-law, don't go too far! These eggs are for Nian Nian. If you dare to take them, I won't be polite!"

Zhang Lan winced in pain, but still refused to let go: "I'll take it! What can you do to me? You're a widow, how dare you lay a hand on me? Believe me or not, I'll get my man to deal with you!"

"Your man?" Lin Wanqiu scoffed. "Your man is always slacking off and can't even earn enough work points. If he dares to come, I'll tell him how you tried to steal my eggs today, how you threw a tantrum! Let him see what kind of woman he married!"

Zhang Lan's sore spot was hit, and her face turned pale and then red. She no longer dared to confront Lin Wanqiu directly, so she could only let go of her hand and glare at her fiercely: "Lin Wanqiu, you just wait! This is not over!"

After saying that, she turned and ran, forgetting even to say goodbye to Aunt Wang at the door. Lin Wanqiu watched her disheveled figure and breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly scooped the eggs out of the pot, peeled one, and handed it to Shen Nian'an: "Niannian, eat quickly, don't let it get cold."

Shen Nian'an took the egg and ate it in small bites. The aroma of the yolk spread in his mouth, and he squinted his eyes in satisfaction: "Mom, the egg is so delicious! Even more delicious than I imagined!"

"Eat more if you like it." Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart as she looked at her son's smile. She knew that Zhang Lan would definitely not let it go and would definitely come back to cause trouble in the future, but now that she had the space as her support, she was no longer afraid of them.

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