The front door was quietly pushed open a crack from the outside, and an arm squeezed through the crack first.

"who?!"

Fang Qiao was feeding the chickens in front of the chicken coop when she heard the sound of the gate and turned around warily.

"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law. It's me, Hongmei's boyfriend." Li Jinlong's voice trembled as he cautiously peeked half his head through the crack in the door. He was carrying a bamboo basket filled with things.

"I've come to bring you a holiday gift."

He grinned at Fang Qiao, trying to fool her, but his smile froze as soon as it opened.

Li Jinlong knew in his heart that his collaboration with Cheng Yajun in spreading rumors was a despicable act, and it wouldn't be easy to get the forgiveness of the person involved. He was prepared to be harassed and retaliated when he went to deliver the gifts, but he never expected that the retaliation would come so quickly!

Without saying a word, Fang Qiao directly slammed the bowl of chicken feed in her hand down on him, aiming straight for his face.

Holy crap!

So fierce!

Li Jinlong's pupils contracted sharply, he dropped the bamboo basket and quickly pulled his head back through the crack in the door.

But no matter how fast he moved, he couldn't outrun the chicken feeder that flew through the air. Before he could even retract half of his head, the feeder had already slammed down on his head.

The leftover rice mixed with wheat bran gave off a strong smell of swill. It was placed on my head and dripped down my face, making it taste incredibly sour and unpleasant.

Li Jinlong lost his balance and fell to the ground, getting chicken feed all over himself. For a moment, he even felt like dying.

"Sister-in-law, you threw it so accurately!" He chuckled dryly, trying to ease the awkwardness. "However, a gentleman uses words, not fists. From now on, we're all family. Let's talk things out."

"Who's family with you?"

Fang Qiao wasn't buying it. Her icy gaze swept over Li Jinlong's face as she picked up the chicken feeder and slammed the door shut: "Get out!"

Li Jinlong struggled to his feet, flicking the chicken feed smeared on his face with his palm. He peered through the crack in the door and tried to speak inside, "Sister-in-law, the holiday gifts are in the bamboo basket. They're full of good stuff. Please, please remember to bring them inside. It's all my fault, the gifts are fine. You can kick me out, but you have to accept the gifts..."

As he was speaking, he caught a glimpse of Fang Qiao through the crack in the door. Suddenly, Fang Qiao bent down and picked up a bamboo pole from the ground. He was so frightened that he forgot everything else, turned around and ran away, saying as he ran, "I, I'll leave now. I don't want you to bother chasing me anymore."

Li Jinlong was frightened by Fang Qiao and ran away as fast as he could.

Fang Qiao heard the footsteps outside the door fade away and put down the bamboo pole in her hand.

She rinsed the chicken feed bowl next to the well before walking to the corner of the wall to see what was in the bamboo basket that Li Jinlong had put down.

Two bags of baby formula, two cans of fruit, two packets of honey-flavored fried dough twists wrapped in oil paper, with a dozen or so White Rabbit milk candies stuffed in the seams.

The gifts were substantial, and they were all practical items that the family already used, probably prepared with great care by the adults in the family.

But Fang Qiao had no intention of forgiving him.

Do you really think you can win people's hearts and get forgiveness by saying sorry a few times and giving some gifts after doing something wrong? There's no such easy way.

*

Fang Qiao carried a bamboo basket into the house, where An An was clinging to Cheng Baidong's arm in a plane hug.

Babies' digestive systems are not fully developed, making them prone to colic, a condition commonly known as "February colic." The "airplane hold" can help relieve a baby's colic.

Sweetie looked at her younger sister with envy, her eyes filled with a longing to try it too.

Giving a baby the airplane hold requires strong arm strength. Fang Qiao's arm strength is not enough, and she can't even hold up An An, who weighs less than 10 pounds, for more than a few seconds. So the airplane hold became Cheng Baidong's task.

Even someone as strong as Cheng Baidong could hardly support the 30-plus-pound Tian Tian with his arms, so he had to apologize and refuse her request.

Sweetie pouted, looking like she was about to cry, so Fang Qiao quickly took out a White Rabbit milk candy from the bamboo basket to coax her.

"Alright, stop pouting. You're a big kid now, don't try to imitate little kids. What's so great about leaning on someone's arm? Later you'll ride on your uncle's shoulders and he'll carry you."

"Really?" Sweetie looked at Fang Qiao with wide eyes in surprise.

She had long envied other children who could ride on their fathers' shoulders, but unfortunately her father remarried and abandoned her. However, she still had her uncle, who could also carry her around.

"Of course it's true." Fang Qiao unwrapped the milk candy and put it into her sweet mouth, smiling as she tapped her little nose, gesturing for Cheng Baidong to answer with her eyes.

Cheng Baidong glanced at her helplessly, "Wife, you really don't want me to have a moment's rest. I'd rather work myself to death."

"The capable should do more." Fang Qiao gave him a helpless look.

"Uncle~" she said sweetly and softly, trying to coax him.

Looking into Tian Tian's bright and sparkling eyes, Cheng Baidong couldn't bear to say no.

"Wait a minute, Uncle will carry you after he puts An'an to sleep."

Sweet troubles are nothing more than this.

After putting An'an to sleep and letting Tian Tian ride on his shoulders, Cheng Baidong finally had a chance to relax.

Taking care of a child is exhausting; even a former cultivator would find it difficult to cope.

Cheng Baidong went to the space and absorbed some spiritual energy to circulate throughout his body, which finally swept away his fatigue.

"Was the person who just delivered the holiday gifts Li Jinlong?" he asked Fang Qiao, half-reclining in his chair.

Fang Qiao hummed in agreement.

"He asked you to make peace?"

"Maybe, but I get annoyed just seeing him, so I just chase him away."

Some hatred is impossible to let go of. Fang Qiao gets angry whenever she thinks about it, and she begs for reconciliation and forgiveness.

Forgive my ass!

The brick factory will start construction tomorrow, and Fang Qiao is so eager to work that bastard to death.

"Well done! You threw the chicken feed bowl at his face quickly and accurately, very skillful." Cheng Baidong praised Fang Qiao, giving him a thumbs up.

Fang Qiao: "..."

I'll take that as a compliment.

Fang Qiao thought the Lantern Festival would pass peacefully, but unexpectedly, an uninvited guest, Li Jinlong, appeared in the morning, and Jiang Moli arrived uninvited in the afternoon.

As a new bride, she was destined to attract a crowd of onlookers as soon as she stepped out of the house.

Not only did she not avoid it, but she also led the people directly to Fang Qiao's house, saying, "Yajun was ignorant before and had a conflict with my older brother and sister-in-law, which made them very angry. They didn't even come to our wedding day, which made me feel very bad. I'll take advantage of this happy day to apologize to my older brother and sister-in-law on Yajun's behalf, and also to invite them to have some wedding candy."

Jiang Moli knocked on the door and looked at Fang Qiao with a smile. In front of many onlookers, she asked softly, "Sister-in-law, this is my first day here. I wanted to come and get acquainted with your family. You wouldn't be so unwelcoming, would you?"