Luo Li wouldn't let go, and Aunt Yang pinched his little face, but didn't dare to squeeze too hard.

"Hey kid, why are you biting your mother like that? Let go!"

Aunt Yang used to secretly bring them food quite often, and they still listened to her.

Luo Li released her mouth and spat, "She's not my mother. That poisonous woman sold my sister."

Xiao Yunying raised her hand and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a red ring of teeth marks on the outside of her arm, with blood seeping from the deepest part.

Her skin was already fair, which made the wounds even more noticeable.

Mu Lianrong slapped her thigh: "You little brat, you really have the guts to do that!"

Yang Tianyun arrived home earlier than Xiao Yunying and told her about meeting Xiao Yunying on the road and giving her a ride back to the village. Aunt Yang also saw Luo Xin sleeping at her house.

"Third son, what nonsense are you talking about? Who told your mother that she sold your sister? Your sister is sleeping peacefully in my house."

The three children were stunned at the same time, with Luo Li being the most surprised: "At Grandma Yang's house?"

Mu Lianrong was also puzzled: "Why is Fourth Sister at your house?"

Aunt Yang explained, "My second son was driving an oxcart back from the city to deliver goods when he met Yunying on the way. Seeing that she was carrying a child and walking with difficulty, he gave her a ride back to the village. Fourth daughter was probably exhausted and fell asleep on the oxcart, so he asked Yunying to come back, put down the things, and then go to my house to bring Fourth daughter back."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone saw the Yang family's gate open, and Yang Tianyun came over carrying the sleeping Luo Xin.

Aunt Yang took Luo Xin from her arms and said to Luo Li, "Third boy, do you see? Your sister is right here."

Luo Li's mind went blank the moment Yang Tianyun appeared carrying his little sister.

The courage fueled by anger vanished instantly.

He felt he was doomed. He had misunderstood the woman, bit her, and now he was going to be beaten to death.

Luo Xin was fast asleep, and Xiao Yunying didn't want to wake her. Too lazy to argue with them anymore, she reached out to pick up the little girl.

Mu Lianrong gently pushed her daughter's hand away, picked up Luo Xin herself, and, not forgetting to take the egg basket, went into her room.

Xiao Yunying thanked him again: "Thank you very much, Brother Yang, for bringing us back, and thank you very much, Aunt Yang, for speaking up for me."

Yang Tianyun waved his hand: "No need to thank me, you've thanked me many times already."

Aunt Yang also said, "Don't talk about that. I see your wound is quite deep. You should go see Doctor Li and buy some medicine to apply."

"I understand."

Xiao Yunying entered the house, and Aunt Yang said to the crowd that had gathered to watch the commotion, "Everyone, disperse, there's nothing to see here."

After everyone had left, he said to the three children, "Your mother may have a bad temper, but she would never sell her children."

You don't know, but back in May this year, a human broker heard that you were good-looking and came here specifically to buy you at a high price.

Son, you know how difficult things were for your mother back then. She couldn't even afford coarse rice and had to survive on wild vegetables. She never considered selling you then, and now that things have improved, there's even less reason for her to sell you.

Luo Chen didn't believe it: "How come we didn't know about this? Grandma Yang, how did you know?"

“The slave trader arrived in the afternoon. You and the others must have gone to the foot of the mountain to dig for wild vegetables, leaving only your sister at home.”

She's too young to understand anything; once the door was closed, she naturally didn't know anything. I was just thinking of bringing you some sweet potatoes and overheard the conversation. Your mother refused very decisively, without any reason; she simply wouldn't sell them.”

Luo Li retorted softly, "She's not my mother, she's just my stepmother."

Aunt Yang said sternly, "A stepmother is still a mother. Third son, let me tell you something: the kindness of raising is greater than the kindness of giving birth. No matter how badly your stepmother has treated you, she has still raised you with all her heart for almost two years. For that reason alone, you should remember her kindness and be grateful for her love."

Seeing the children with their heads down and not saying a word, Aunt Yang softened her voice: "Luo Chen, you are their eldest brother, and you are eight years old now. You should be sensible by now."

You should know that Mu Lianrong is very doting on her daughter. If your stepmother hadn't insisted on staying, would she have let her daughter suffer here with you?

Why did your stepmother insist on staying? Wasn't it all for your sake?

When your second son and fourth daughter were injured and sick, didn't you see how worried your stepmother was? Just because she beat and scolded you a few times, you've forgotten all the good she did for you?

Take today's events, for example. Did you even ask her where your sister went? If you had given her a chance to speak, you wouldn't have been fighting like this. She couldn't possibly have deliberately told you that she sold your sister, could she?

In the end, Aunt Yang sighed:

“It was indeed wrong of your stepmother to always beat you. I have tried to persuade her many times, but it seems that she is trying to change her ways.”

You've seen the bite marks on her arms and the pinch marks on the back of her hands; they're bleeding, which must have been incredibly painful. Yet she endured it all without fighting back. You should let go of your prejudice against your stepmother.

Grandma Yang couldn't offer any grand pronouncements, but she said one thing: if you really drive her away, how will you three teenagers, with a little girl not even three years old, survive without anyone to protect you? Not to mention anything else, if some evil person comes along and kidnaps you to sell you, you won't be able to resist. You all need to think about this carefully.”

After Aunt Yang finished speaking, she closed the door behind her, leaving the three children standing there for a long, long time.