"It's my fault for being careless. Actually, Da Ya has been coming home quite often since the Mu family boy moved in. How come I didn't realize that she had her eye on the Mu family boy?"

Seeing the old lady constantly blaming herself, Yang Chunqin felt quite uneasy: "Grandma, how can you blame yourself? Actually, Daya's thoughts have long been impure. She took the opportunity to get close to them the day the educated youth arrived. It was all her own choice. Although you are her elder, you can't control her thoughts. You should just let her be. If you interfere too much, she might resent you for the rest of her life!"

Grandma Xu sighed deeply: "Who can argue with that?"

Yang Chunqin added, "As long as we keep an eye on her and make sure the Niu family doesn't sell her, it'll be fine. I think the reason she's so eager to get married is probably related to her mother."

Grandma Xu wiped away her tears: "I shouldn't have been so soft-hearted and let Yaoqiang marry her. Since marrying her, Yaoqiang hasn't had a single day of peace. I left him alone early on because I hoped he could stand on his own two feet. But look at their lives now, is this how a human being lives?"

Xu Yaozu also sighed and said, "I'll talk to Yaoqiang tomorrow. They can suffer a little, it's all their own choice, but we can't let the child suffer. Zeyu is a good kid, and his grades are good too. Let's help him out more."

Mu Jingheng seemed to have a psychological shadow, and he had Xu Laosan accompany him every step of the way, and even had Xu Laosan stand guard at the door when he took a bath.

Xu Laosan sat at the door of the bathroom, looked up at the sky, sighed and said, "Brother Mu, now you realize how important I am, right? I feel like our family can't do without me."

Xu Mingyang happened to hear this and chuckled as he patted his head. He also felt that the family couldn't function without Xu Laosan. Without him, who would lighten the mood?

Mu Jingheng, unaware that Xu Mingyang was also at the bathroom door, casually replied, "I really can't do without you. Lately, I've had to share a bed with you. I don't dare go back to that room to sleep."

Xu Laosan chuckled: "I told you a long time ago that you wanted to share a room with me, but you all disagreed. Now you know how wise I was, right?"

Mu Jingheng: "Brilliant, you're so brilliant. I need to have Xin Ning burn more moxa sticks in that room to get rid of the bad luck."

Xu Laosan: "Go burn it yourself. You dare to order my sister around? Not even my future brother-in-law."

Mu Jingheng: "Third brother, how about I become your brother-in-law? I'll definitely treat Xin Ning like a goddess from now on."

Xu Mingyang's eyes darkened. So this kid had been up to no good all along. No wonder he was so eager to move into Old Xu's house as soon as he arrived in Xu Family Village.

Xu Mingyang clenched his fist, feeling like he wanted to punch someone!

Xu Laosan said directly, "Brother Mu, I'm not trying to discourage you, but my sister doesn't like people like you."

Mu Jingheng: "So what kind does she like?"

Xu Laosan rested his chin on his hand, organized his thoughts, and said, "She likes men who are responsible, composed, capable, skilled, tall, and handsome. Brother Mu, not to be rude, but you don't fit the criteria of being composed and reserved."

Xu Xinning sat on the upstairs corridor, listening to Xu Laosan and Mu Jingheng chatting idly. She didn't really want to eavesdrop, but the two of them were just too brazen.

But to be honest, thinking about it carefully, it seems that Xu Laosan's criteria for choosing a partner are quite in line with hers.

Xu Mingyang smiled too; this third brother did have some sense.

The next day, Mu Jingheng only worked half a day before going to the county town. He needed to clear his head, otherwise he would feel uncomfortable if he ran into Xu Daya again.

After returning from the Xu family's old house, Xu Daya was slapped by Xu Yaoqiang. This was the first time in Xu Daya's life that Xu Yaoqiang had hit her.

In fact, Xu Yaoqiang doted on Xu Daya. When she was little, Xu Daya loved to eat wild raspberries from the mountains. Every time the raspberries ripened, Xu Yaoqiang would go up the mountain to pick them for her, no matter how busy he was. Later, as she grew up, the girl became vain. Xu Yaoqiang noticed that Xu Daya always looked at Xu Xinning with envious eyes whenever she came home. So, Xu Yaoqiang secretly saved money, wanting to buy his daughter pretty clothes, shoes, and hair accessories. Unfortunately, his savings could never keep up with the speed at which Xu Daya grew up.

Xu Yaoqiang believed that a person could be poor, but not lack ambition. However, Xu Daya's actions today had truly crossed his bottom line.

After returning home, Xu Zeyu went straight to his room without saying a word, and no matter what happened outside, he never stepped out of the room again.

The Xu Yaoyang family was also experiencing turmoil.

When Xu Yaoyang came home from get off work, the house was quiet and the kitchen was deserted. It was so late and no one was cooking.

Xu Yaoyang's wife and two children were so scared that they hid in their room all afternoon and didn't come out. The children were forgetful and even took a nap while hiding in their room. But Xu Yaoyang's wife couldn't sleep at all. She was certain that her good days were slowly fading away.

The two old men hurriedly ate a few bites of lunch and went to work. Now their status was different; the whole brigade was watching them. If they didn't work hard, their situation might get even worse.

The work of carrying manure for fertilizer is really hard. They not only have to carry the scattered night-blooming jasmine to the designated pit, but also have to stir it in a proper way, and then cover it with a lid to let it ferment.

After an afternoon, both of their shoulders were swollen, and their odor could be smelled from afar.

When I dragged myself home, I couldn't stand the smell on my body. I forced myself to wash up, but no matter how I washed, the smell seemed impossible to get rid of.

Xu Yaoyang went to the kitchen, lifted the lid of the pot, and then went to the two elders' room.

After washing up, the elderly couple seemed exhausted; one leaned against the bed, and the other sat in a chair.

Xu Yaoyang was startled; even during the busy farming season, he had never seen his parents look so tired.

Xu Yaoyang: "Ada, Amu, what's wrong?"

The old man sighed and didn't say anything.

The old woman broke down in tears the moment she saw her beloved son.

Xu Yaoyang's heart sank, and a bad premonition rushed to his head.

The old woman knew she couldn't hide it any longer, so she told Xu Yaoyang everything that had happened that day, including that the eldest son's wife already knew they had stolen from Xu Mingyang.

Xu Yaoyang turned pale with fright after hearing this. He hated his parents for being too ostentatious, and he hated his cousin even more for ruining their whole family. When he gave that woman to Xu Mingyang, he had warned his wife that he hoped his cousin's relationship with that woman would end there.

No secret can stay hidden forever. Xu Yaoyang felt that if their relationship continued, it would definitely be exposed one day.

But the old woman didn't take it seriously, and now she's completely offended the first wife.

Xu Yaoyang lost his appetite.

He sat there, lost in thought.

After thinking it over, it seems that the eldest son's family still showed him some leniency. Otherwise, if the brigade had reported his parents' actions to the Revolutionary Committee, perhaps he and his children would have lost their future.