Li Laosi, afraid that his mother would worry, quickly stepped forward to support her and said, "Mother, we're back. Erniu's wife has nothing to do, so she came to stay for a while."

It's unheard of for newlyweds to be out visiting each other and even staying for a while!

Grandma Li guessed that things might not be so simple, but this was not the time to talk. She smiled and said, "Great, welcome, welcome! The children are all away at school, and it's too quiet at home. It would be good if Erniu's wife stayed for a few more days, so that this old lady could keep me company."

Wei Erniu quickly pulled his wife, Xiao Cui'er, forward to bow and express his gratitude, "Thank you, Madam, we...we've disturbed you."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Old Mrs. Li patted his shoulder, then smiled and took Xiao Cui'er's hand, saying, "Child, Erniu and my fourth brother have a life-or-death bond. They're not blood brothers, but they're closer than blood brothers! Make yourself at home here, and we can talk about it later."

Xiao Cui'er's eyes reddened, her gaze filled with three parts grievance and seven parts fear. She cautiously said, "Auntie, I'm not lazy. I can work. Just call me if you need anything."

"Okay!" Old Mrs. Li understood the child's anxiety and readily agreed. "Don't worry, the autumn harvest is coming soon, and there's a lot of work to do at home. Help me tidy up the vegetable garden then."

Little Cui'er grinned and said, "Auntie, I know how to pickle vegetables! Everyone in the village says my pickled vegetables are delicious. I'll pickle a lot for you later."

"Okay, it's settled then!" Old Mrs. Li shook her hand and called to everyone, "I'll take Xiao Cui and Er Niu to settle in. You all go with Lao Si to wash your hands and faces. We've steamed plenty of buns at home this morning, we'll heat them up for you to have a little something to eat later."

"Thank you, Madam!" Everyone responded in unison. Just as they were about to turn and head to the next courtyard, Li Yong and Hui Niang heard the news and rushed over with the child in their arms.

The twins' fever had subsided, and after two days of eating and drinking, they regained their energy. Right now, one of them was playfully tugging at his father's hair, while the other was snuggling in his mother's arms.

Everyone was delighted to see it and couldn't resist going up to hug and play with it.

Hui Niang was also wondering why Wei Erniu had brought his wife along. When she heard that they wanted to stay at the Li family's house, Hui Niang said, "Auntie, your house has a lot of people coming and going, and it's troublesome to have people in the front and back yards. Why don't you let Erniu and Xiao Cui stay at my house?"

"When Erniu and Dayong go to the dock on weekdays, it's nice to have Xiaocui'er to keep me company."

Li Yong chimed in, "Yes, Auntie, it's more convenient for them to stay at our house!"

Wei Erniu knew that the Li family genuinely wanted them to stay, but with such a large courtyard and so many distinguished guests coming and going, it was definitely more comfortable to stay with Li Yong.

So he pulled his wife to pay their respects to Old Lady Li and headed to Li Yong's house.

Grandma Li didn't stop them, saying, "You can stay wherever you feel comfortable. Rest for today, and we'll cook some good dishes for you all to come and have a good time tomorrow."

After exchanging a few words of laughter, Hui Niang and Li Yong put the child down and took Wei Erniu and his wife back home...

Jiayin woke up from her afternoon nap, washed her face, and went to the front yard, where she saw the twins sitting on a mat under the eaves.

The two chubby children were given nicknames by the village chief; the boy was named Pingping, and the girl was named An'an.

Right now, they each have a fruit in their hands and are happily munching on it.

The fruit was peeled and scored so that the two children could taste it without biting into too big pieces and choking on it.

Grandma Li sat to the side, occasionally teasing the two chubby children. Steam was rising from the kitchen as steamed buns were being heated and rice porridge was being cooked.

Jiayin leaned forward and kissed the twins, then hugged her grandmother's arm and asked, "Grandma, why are you cooking at this hour? Why are Ping'an and An'an here too?"

Grandma Li then told Jiayin about Wei Erniu bringing his wife over, and Jiayin's little flame of gossip immediately ignited.

"Grandma, what's going on? Didn't Uncle Erniu just get married? Why is he moving out with his wife?"

Old Li gave his granddaughter a light tap and scolded her, "Don't be such a gossip at such a young age, always talking about family matters and gossip!"

"Hehe!" Jiayin chuckled, quickly making an excuse, "Uncle Erniu saved Daddy, I was just concerned about Uncle Erniu!"

As they were talking, Hui Niang arrived. Knowing that Old Lady Li was concerned, she spoke up without being asked.

"Auntie, the Wei family is not fair! Erniu is honest and hardworking, but he is not as good at talking and coaxing as his brother, so the family favors his brother."

"His brother married the daughter of a cloth shop owner. Xiao Cui'er was an orphan in the village who was taken in by the Wei family and became Er Niu's child bride."

"In the past few years, Erniu and his wife have lived in the county town, but they have to ask their family for food, drink and other necessities. Erniu's salary has been given to his brother by his parents. As a result, Xiaocui is treated like a slave in the Wei family, being beaten and scolded, and not even given enough to eat or wear."

"Erniu only found out about these things when he returned to his hometown to get married. Moreover, the banquet that the Wei family held for them was particularly shabby, and they didn't even prepare a wedding dress for Xiaocui'er."

"The fabric and jewelry we gave her were snatched away by Erniu's mother and given to her eldest sister-in-law. She said she would take care of the eldest son's family in her old age and not rely on Erniu."

"Erniu wanted to take Xiaocui with him to live alone, but they disagreed. They wanted to keep Xiaocui at home and make her work like a slave, while Erniu had to go out and earn money again..."

"This is outrageous!" Old Mrs. Li was furious. "They're all my children, both my palm and my back! Have those two old folks in the Wei family lost their minds? Putting aside whether the eldest son is reliable or not, just considering how filial and sensible Erniu and Xiaocui are, they can't be treated like this!"

“Yes,” Hui Niang sighed and said in a low voice, “This family is just like the Yan family, so cruel.”

"What are Erniu's plans?" Old Mrs. Li frowned. "Favoring one's children won't help! This old couple is counting on their eldest son for their old age, but I'm afraid they can't rely on him. They might even turn to Erniu later..."

Hui Niang nodded and replied, "I heard from Xiao Cui that Er Niu has to go back again. His second uncle passed away early and there is no one to carry on the family line. Er Niu wants to be adopted by his second uncle so that even if his parents can't rely on his older brother and come to him, they will still be relatives."

“Even when he’s not home, Xiao Cui wouldn’t be bullied too badly by his parents.”

"That's a good idea!" Old Mrs. Li's eyes lit up. "They say there are no bad parents in the world, and filial piety is paramount, but Erniu is just unlucky to have parents like these. It's good to leave yourself a way out!"

“Xiao Cui’er seems to be a diligent and honest girl. Even if the Wei family elders really fall on hard times in the future, as long as they behave themselves, Xiao Cui’er will not leave them without a place to live.”

The two women were chatting animatedly, but Jiayin was anxiously pacing around.

The reason is simple: I can't bear to part with it!

The jewelry she gave me was given to my father by Uncle Xie Erniu to save him, not to those greedy wolves in the Wei family!