Under Lin Xi's threat, Gou Dan'er had no choice but to nod obediently and say, "Auntie, I was the one who wanted to hold her back. Don't hit her, hit me instead."

Er Ya released Gou Dan with satisfaction, then quickly turned back to Jiang's mother to express her loyalty: "Mom, you see, I was right, wasn't I? It was him who wanted to go, I was forced to."

Back in the countryside, everyone called their parents "father" and "mother." Lin Xi thought that was how everyone addressed their parents in this era. But after moving to a bustling place, she realized that wasn't the case. Here, if you open your mouth and call your parents "father" and "mother," people will definitely laugh at you for being a country bumpkin.

So after she changed her name, the second thing she did was change how she addressed people, and she helped Lin Jianguo and Jiang's mother adapt to the new environment.

"Don't give me that. Do you think I don't know Dog Egg? He'll do whatever you say and always side with you. You think you can be forced into anything?"

Li Taohua spoke up for Lin Xi: "Sister-in-law, it's just a trip to the mountains. It's normal for the child to want to play. You used to always advise me, saying that it's a child's nature to love to play and that I shouldn't be too strict. But now that it's Lin Xi's turn, you're being strict."

Jiang's mother said irritably, "If she were a child, it would be fine if she liked to play. But she's so old now, and she's still running around the mountains like a crazy girl. The college entrance exam is coming up soon, and time is so tight. Sigh, I'm getting nervous too."

"You're still worried about her? If I had a daughter like that, I'd be overjoyed. Her grades are so good; she's the kind of child the principal always praises. She gets perfect scores every time."

When Jiang's mother heard about Lin Xi's grades, she smiled. "You know what," she said, "I don't think I've ever seen her study much, but she always gets full marks on exams. The teachers at school are so competitive that they almost fight over her every time."

Moreover, she was originally the youngest child in the class, but later, when the teacher saw that her grades were particularly good, she applied to the school and allowed her to skip several grades. Now she is a senior in high school.

Jiang's mother was so tense because the exams were coming up soon. She not only moved to a house in the city, but also brought her meals every day, cooking different dishes each time. She was worried that Jiang had lost weight and wasn't eating or sleeping well at school. So, she only brought Jiang back to town for two days off to let her relax. But the girl just relaxed too much.

Seeing that Jiang's mother's expression had softened, Lin Xi tugged at her arm and said coquettishly, "Mom, I was wrong. I won't do it again next time, okay?"

Another boy emerged from the house, his features clear and bright. When he smiled, a pair of large eyes shone beneath his thick eyebrows. He looked to be about ten years old.

"Sis, where have you been? Look how dirty you are. Hey, stay away from me."

Lin Xi deliberately walked up to him and vigorously shook her clothes, scaring Lin Lin into running into the house. She loudly complained, "Mom, look at my sister, you have to do something about her!"

"What's wrong with your sister? She just stood in front of you for a little while. You're a boy, is it really that big of a deal?"

Jiang's mother was also very helpless. You know, this kid can't stand being even a little bit dirty. If there's even the slightest bit of dirt on him, he has to change his clothes and wash them again. His little hands are so dirty that they're practically rubbed raw every day. I don't know who he takes after. He's nothing like a child from their rural family.

"Mom, you're being unfair. My sister has exams coming up, so you're going to be with her, leaving me all alone with Dad. You know how bad he is at cooking; look how skinny I am."

"Hey, you're so heartless. I know Aunt Peach Blossom has made you plenty of delicious food, and now you're saying this."

She whispered to Lin Lin, "I took Mom away, so isn't this house yours now? You still have the nerve to say you've lost weight? You're clearly plump and carefree, while I, your older sister, suffer from Mom's nagging every day."

The two boys, both in the midst of their rebellious teenage years, were quietly complaining about their mother's nagging, even wondering if she was going through early menopause.

Just then, Jiang's mother felt a sharp pain in her ear and said quietly, "What are those two saying about me again?"

Lin Xi quickly waved her hand: "No, no, Mom, you are the most perfect mother. How could I say that? I was talking about Dad. I never see him. I don't know what he's busy with."

Jiang's mother sighed and said, "What else could we be busy with? Your grandma got sick and couldn't be treated at the clinic, so we went to this big hospital for a checkup. The doctor immediately admitted her to the hospital. Now that she's staying, she needs someone to take care of her. Your grandpa is gone, and your uncle's family, who are usually fine, are trying to take advantage of us. But as soon as they heard that your grandma was going to stay for several days, they left immediately, saying that they still have a lot of work to do at home and can't leave her alone."

"Then what should we do? Just let my dad serve him like that?"

"What else can we do? Your father already feels guilty towards your grandfather because he wasn't around when he was away. Now he's even more afraid that his wife will feel the same way. He's been watching over her for days, and he's lost weight."

Even so, your grandma still speaks well of the eldest son's family, saying that they are busy and the whole family depends on them, making it seem like your dad isn't busy. We also have a family, and we don't have as much to do as they do, but there's nothing we can do. People's hearts are just biased towards them. Even if we give them our hearts, it's no use.

Speaking of Lin Jianqun's family, they were happy for a few days after Lin Jianguo moved away. They thought that since they were gone, as the eldest brother, it would be only natural for him to take over the pigs and chickens that Lin Jianguo left behind. Wouldn't that be like a pie falling from the sky? Of course, they would grab them with all their might!

Before he could even start looking for bargains, a Cheng Yaojin appeared out of nowhere. Li Taohua had the keys to Lin Jianqun's country. No matter what they said, it was no use. They just said that she had given them to her before leaving, and that she could sell what needed to be sold and kill what needed to be killed. They didn't say that they would leave them to Lin Jianqun.

Undeterred, Lin Jianqun tried to sneak in to get something, but Li Taohua discovered him and brought Dahei back to the yard. Lin Jianqun, who had just turned over, came face to face with Dahei and was so frightened that he wet his pants. If he hadn't been quick and agile, Dahei would have torn a piece of his flesh off.

Overwhelmed with fear, Lin Jianqun dared not cause any more trouble. On the other hand, Niu Shi, after being advised by Da Ya, dragged Old Lady Shen to Qian Lu's restaurant and tearfully told her how difficult things had been for them. She said that her second son was thinking of outsiders and not him anymore, and that they would no longer be relatives.

The accusations made the neighbors really believe how pitiful Old Lady Shen and her family were, and how vicious they were.

To be continued!