"Mother, are you leaving us? Eldest brother knows too. Zhao Heng doesn't even have a mother, and he even wants to help his father kidnap you. We can't live without a mother!"

Liang Shuyan couldn't help but laugh when she saw Niu Niu's pouting lips. This child was actually afraid that Zhao Heng would take her away, so she was full of hostility towards Zhao Heng.

Which child would want to lose their mother?

Liang Shuyan gently flicked Niu Niu's nose and said with a smile, "Don't talk nonsense. How could your mother leave you? You are all your mother's children. Your mother can't bear to part with any of you. But Zhao Heng lost his mother when he was young. Your mother loves him just like she loves you. What's wrong with that?"

"Mother, Niu Niu is scared. She's scared that you'll really become Zhao Heng's stepmother, and that we siblings will all become motherless children!"

Liang Shuyan lovingly picked up Niu Niu and said, "Don't worry, Mommy won't leave you. Zhao Heng is with us now, and Mommy will never leave you!"

Jin Dashan glared at Zhao Heng, crossed his arms, and said, "What's wrong, you brat who's causing trouble? You actually got your father to take you back? Well, the magistrate's mansion is much more spacious than our courtyard, and there are servants to wait on you. Maybe your father can even find you a maidservant?"

Zhao Heng pouted and acted coquettishly towards Liang Shuyan: "Auntie, look at me, even my brother Dashan is treating my face so badly, who did I offend?"

Liang Shuyan said loudly, "From now on, you all remember this: you are not allowed to say anything about Zhao Heng again. Although Zhao Heng is not your blood brother or sister, he has been with us for so long. Can't you look at him differently? What, do you think you're the only ones with a mother?"

Jin Dashan's lips trembled slightly: "Mother, it was Dashan, Dashan was wrong, please don't be angry!"

The magistrate stood at the door, watching Liang Shuyan reprimand Dashan. She was serious, her cold eyes slightly furrowed, and her voice was sharp, yet it was like a warm sun falling on his heart, making this magistrate suddenly feel a bit of admiration for the woman in front of him.

Inside the martial arts school, Ruyan squatted at the entrance, holding a piece of embroidery in her hand, meticulously embroidering it stitch by stitch.

Madam Liu shook her head: "Ruyan, do you really not want to be with Sanwang anymore? No matter what, Sanwang is a kind-hearted boy who was deceived by Aunt Liu. Can you reconsider this matter?"

The embroidery in Ruyan's hand depicted two mandarin ducks in the water, but Liu snatched them away from her.

"Ruyan, have you found someone else again, someone from our martial arts school, right?"

Ruyan's face was pale, and she shook her head: "Sister, how could I hide it from you? Even if there were something, it wouldn't be at the martial arts school. That would be too shameful. Besides, Sanwang and I haven't broken off our engagement yet. Let's wait until Sanwang comes back before we talk about it."

Erniu nodded vigorously upon hearing this: "That's right. As for Ruyan, we still need to wait for Sanwang to come back. If he's still indifferent to you then, your brother-in-law will stand up for you. Even if Sanwang isn't lucky enough to have you, your brother-in-law will find you someone at this martial arts school. Don't worry!"

As if suddenly remembering something, Liu whispered a few words in Erniu's ear, and Erniu flew into a rage: "You, you woman, stop gossiping about my mother here! My mother is not that kind of person. Even if the county magistrate had such thoughts, my mother would not be willing to leave our family!"

After saying that, Jin Erniu returned to the house, panting heavily.

When Grandma Liu saw her son-in-law enter the house with a dark face and close the door, she came out leaning on her cane.

"I'm telling you, how come you've lived half your life and still don't know how to speak properly? If other people said this, Erniu might be able to accept it, but when you say it, it takes on a different meaning. Your mother-in-law is capable, competent, good at making money, and smart. What man wouldn't like that? Let alone the county magistrate, any man would love a woman who can make money and manage a household like that."

Ruyan stood up and whispered, "Let me just say what I think. Actually, I think the magistrate is well-off and a bachelor, and his wife is a widow. I think they would be a good match!"

Before Old Madam Liu could speak, Madam Liu exclaimed, "No, how can this be allowed? No matter what the magistrate is like, my mother won't care about their wealth and power. Besides, if word gets out, won't our family become the talk of the town? No way!"

Jin Erniu heard everything clearly from inside the house. He was worried: "What if Mother really has this idea? Wouldn't our family be left hanging by a thread by the magistrate's family? No, even if Mother has this idea, it won't work. We have to talk to Grandma about this!"

In the current Jin family, none of them have the right to criticize their mother. Only when their grandmother, Old Madam Jin, speaks will their mother listen to her.

So, Jin Erniu went to Old Lady Jin's house.

Jin Erniu kept rubbing his hands together: "Grandma, there's something I want to ask you?"

But he didn't know how to start, and after stammering for a long time, Grandma Jin said impatiently, "I say, you brat, you're not usually like this, why are you stammering today?"

Jin Erniu plopped down on the bench by the window, and after making up his mind, asked, "Grandma, if my mother wants to remarry, would you agree?"

Upon hearing this, Grandma Jin burst into laughter.

When did Grandma Jin become so happy? Did Jin Erniu bring her something delicious, or did he say something good?

Out of curiosity, Liang Shuyan slowly approached the door of Grandma Jin's house.

Inside the house, Old Mrs. Jin slapped her thigh and said, "Have you heard about your mother's affair with the county magistrate? Did Niu Niu tell you about it?"

Jin Erniu nodded: "Yes, that's right. Niu Niu came to the martial arts school and told me about this. She also said that my mother is really going to marry the county magistrate. What are we going to do? And what about the reputation of our Jin family?"

“This Niu Niu, she argued with Zhao Heng herself and then ran to complain to you. How can you believe Niu Niu’s words? Besides, I know your mother’s personality. For so many years, she has been so devoted to you and your siblings that she hasn’t even bought herself a single piece of clothing. Now that things are just starting to look up, why would she get married?”

"Grandma, no matter what, only you can persuade my mother. Please talk to her!"

Grandma Jin said with a stern face, "Enough! Are you all too idle? Don't you have enough things to do at home? No one is there when it's time to do the work, but now that it's time to cause trouble, everyone comes out. How can you, a grown man, believe the words of that little yellow-haired girl, Niu Niu?"