After a slight hesitation, Fang Qiao did not immediately retreat back into the courtyard. Instead, she looked up and met Jiang Moli's gaze.

Jiang Moli looked older than before. Her face lacked the fullness that a young girl should have, and she was so thin that she looked unrecognizable. Her cheeks were sunken, making her cheekbones particularly prominent. Her arms, which were holding the child, were excessively thin. When the wind blew, her clothes clung to her body, making her entire profile appear overly frail.

Looking at her thin arms, Fang Qiao felt that she could be blown over by a gust of wind at any moment.

Jiang Moli, who was smiling and probably comforting a child, glanced at Fang Qiao, her eyelids fluttered, and she subconsciously avoided Fang Qiao's gaze. She quickened her pace and hurried forward.

At this moment, the child who was perched on her shoulder looked curiously in Fang Qiao's direction. As Jiang Moli walked, she raised her hand to cover his face, turning his head away so that only Fang Qiao's flat back of his head was visible.

Fang Qiao found her reaction inexplicable, frowned, closed the door, and returned to the courtyard.

The old lady was sitting directly opposite the main entrance, so she could see all of Fang Qiao's movements.

Seeing her return with a frown, he asked, "Who did you see? Why are you frowning like that?"

"I saw Jiang Moli, and it's a bit strange that she's holding a child in her arms." Fang Qiao asked, "Did she give birth?"

The old lady hummed in agreement: "She gave birth, and she's two months older than our Chuan Chuan and Yue Yue."

"Only two months older?" Fang Qiao found it a bit strange.

Didn't everyone say she got pregnant before she was married?

It was right after the Spring Festival, in January.

She and Yueyue met in May. That's a four-month difference.

Although she gave birth at full term before her due date, it was only a little over half a month earlier than the due date. Does that mean Jiang Moli's child was past the due date and hadn't been born yet?

Fang Qiao thought this way, so she asked the old lady.

The old lady shook her head: "If you count the days, it should be about a month late. I heard from the old lady across the street that the baby was born looking like a little kitten, a tiny little bundle, weighing at most four or five pounds, and it almost didn't survive."

Fang Qiao exclaimed in surprise, "How come the baby is so small after being born past the due date?"

Her sons, Chuan Chuan and Yue Yue, were born just past full term; they were twins, and weighed four or five pounds at birth.

She found it strange: "Huang Yan is reluctant to feed her? I just saw her and she was very thin, her face was all flesh, she was almost unrecognizable."

"Who knows? We've broken off ties, we don't keep in touch, and we can't just stand around watching whether someone else's food is thin or thick." After saying that, the old lady stood up and said, "My back hurts from sitting, I'm going to get up and move around."

Fang Qiao quickly went to help her up, saying, "Please be careful."

"It's alright, I can stand steadily." The old lady said with a smile, "Your grandma has never done anything wrong in her life, and I have no burden in my heart even in my old age. I can eat and sleep well, and I'm still very healthy. I don't need your help."

Fang Qiao's mind almost subconsciously flashed to Jiang Moli's thin body, which looked as if a gust of wind could blow her away. She felt that there was something more to the old lady's words.

Meanwhile, Jiang Moli returned to the Cheng family home with her child in her arms.

As soon as you enter, you see Huang Yan kneeling on a sheet outside the main room, picking up the dry, broken leaves stuck to the cotton.

Seeing Jiang Moli return carrying the child, her long face immediately broke into a kind smile. "Oh dear, my precious baby is back! I've missed Grandma so much. Come here, let Grandma give you a hug."

As Huang Yan spoke, she patted the sheet next to her, signaling Jiang Moli to bring the child over.

The cloth sheet was made by cutting out the leather from four old grain sacks, flattening them, and sewing them together. Although simple, it was an excellent item in the countryside. Laying it on the ground kept out the dust, and it was useful for many things. It could be used to sew quilts, dry cotton, and in winter, it could be used to gather poplar leaves from the woods to carry home as kindling.

Jiang Moli had just returned from town. Having grown accustomed to the neat and tidy houses there, she found the old sheet spread on the floor too dirty and didn't take the child over. She simply said, "Mom, Da Bao is a little tired from walking all the way back from my parents' house. She wants to sleep. I'll take her back to the room to sleep for a while."

“What do you mean he wants to sleep? His eyes are wide open, and you’re saying he wants to sleep? You’re just talking nonsense.” Huang Yan climbed off the sheet, walked over to Jiang Moli, and forcibly took the child from her arms: “Alright, I’ll take care of the child for you. You pick the leaves out of the cotton.”

Jiang Moli didn't speak, and her expression wasn't good.

Huang Yan rolled her eyes at her: "What? Don't want to do it?"

A look of disgust flashed in Jiang Moli's eyes, but she forced a smile and said, "Mom, I didn't say I didn't want to do it."

"Then hurry up and get to work."

Huang Yan glanced at Jiang Moli, who wasn't moving an inch, and snorted coldly, saying, "Jiang Moli, don't think I'm nagging, it's just that you're so inconsiderate. The cotton has already bloomed, and it's the time to pick the flowers. The work in the fields is heavy and very busy, but you insist on taking Da Bao back to your parents' home, and you stay for two or three days. Isn't that just deliberately shirking your responsibilities?"

"You don't even go out and see what kind of wife is so unreasonable! Luckily, I have a good temper and don't hold it against you, otherwise, Yajun would have given you a good beating. You don't want to do the work of picking flowers in the field, but if you're picking cotton at home, can't you at least pick out the grass and leaves inside?"

Jiang Moli hated Huang Yan's endless nagging. Over the past year of their clashes, she had learned that if she didn't work obediently, she wouldn't have a good day.

She silently squatted down to pick up the withered grass and leaves mixed in with the cotton.

The pile on the packing slip was probably cotton picked by her father-in-law, Cheng Guihe. He didn't pick the cotton carefully at all, and there were many withered leaves mixed in.

Picking out the withered leaves from the cotton bolls is no easy task. The leaves are dry and crumble at the slightest touch, so you have to bend over and pick them carefully without getting distracted. It's manageable if you only bend over for a short while, but it gets tiring after a long time. By the end of the afternoon, your neck and shoulders can't take it anymore.

Huang Yan held the child, calling him "my good grandson," "my precious baby," and "my little one," while also keeping an eye on Jiang Moli. As soon as she saw Jiang Moli slow down or touch her neck or tilt her head back, she would immediately tell her, "Don't be lazy, hurry up and do it."

She couldn't stand Jiang Moli being idle for even a moment, and she acted even more like a landlord than before.

Jiang Moli glanced up at her son, who was being held in Huang Yan's arms, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

She pursed her lips, clenched her hands tightly, and dug her fingertips into her palms.