outhouse.

Da Wa was originally going to kill a chicken, and he was especially excited about eating chicken that night. His father came back, and Da Wa was also very happy, but at the same time, he subconsciously felt a little awkward.

Erwa, that simpleton, saw that there was suddenly a man in his house, and he was with his mother. He quietly listened and then heard the sound of arguing coming from inside.

"Brother..." Erwa called to Dawa, "That man is bullying Mother."

The curtain was lifted as soon as he finished speaking.

Chen Yourun's face was ashen, but his expression softened slightly when his gaze fell on the two children.

Chen Yourun looked at the two children, feeling bitter; they were short and small with dry, yellow hair.

He wanted to take the children away from this miserable place and give them a better life.

He squatted down and said, "How about Dad takes you to live in the house next to the village headman? From now on, you can stay with Dad, and we'll wear new clothes and eat eggs and rice, okay?"

Chen Yourun opened his arms, waiting for the two children to rush over.

Erwa's mind raced. With this man, he could only eat eggs and rice, but with his mother, he could eat chicken, fish, and rabbit meat. And his mother gave him an egg every morning, sometimes even frying it in oil. Erwa's mouth was already watering.

After making up his mind, he immediately took two steps back and exclaimed, "No!"

Chen Yourun was taken aback. Yin Lan treated them so badly, yet the child still missed her.

This woman has no conscience at all. The child doesn't understand anything. She's too kind, and that's why she suffers so much.

He looked at the eldest child.

"The eldest child cried so bitterly just now; he must be the one who most wants to leave with him," Chen Yourun thought.

The eldest son hesitated for a second, looked at his father's expectant gaze, and slowly shook his head.

There's still chicken left at home that we haven't eaten.

There's so much grain in the rice bin.

There are also fish.

These days, Mother has become so gentle and kind to them. They will soon have new clothes to wear, and Da Wa has never forgotten how Mother risked her life to protect them the night the wild boar came.

As for the things he had experienced in the past, he had long forgotten them.

Under Chen Yourun's incredulous gaze, Da Wa shook his head again, "I want my mother!"

Chen Yourun: ...

He also has a child.

Forehead,

Sanwa could barely speak clearly, but he kept staring at Yinlan, drooling and fawning over her.

It's even less likely that they can take it with them.

Chen Yourun took a deep breath. "Don't be afraid. Mother won't dare to hit you anymore. Father will protect you. Don't be afraid. Come with Father and everything will be alright."

Chen Yourun reached out to hug Erwa.

Erwa thought he was being taken away and that his mother didn't want him anymore.

Startled, she pushed Chen Yourun away forcefully.

Seeing Yin Lan wailing, "Mother, I want Mother, waaaah, Mother, Mother, Mother..."

"Mother, please don't abandon us..."

Chen Yourun, who was pushed away: ....

The eldest child beside Yin Lan silently stood behind her and tugged at her clothes. He didn't understand why his father wanted to take them away.

But he had just rejected his father, and it felt like a betrayal, so when Chen Yourun looked over, he immediately looked away.

Chen Yourun: ...He wanted to say something more, but the two children were tugging at Yin Lan's clothes, crying and sobbing, looking extremely pitiful, as if he had become the bad guy.

Yin Lan was still a little angry, her head aching from the children's crying, and her voice was laced with anger, "Stop crying! Anyone who cries again won't get meat for dinner! When did I say I didn't want you anymore!"

Chen Yourun's pupils dilated in shock. She dared to speak so loudly? And threaten the child? And...

But the two children stopped sobbing.

Tears and snot mingled together.

Erwa glanced at Yin Lan, then secretly wiped his hand on Yin Lan's clothes.

Then, gripping Yin Lan's clothes tightly with both hands, he looked at Chen Yourun with a mixture of wariness and anger.

Chen Yourun: ....

"You bad person!" Erwa cursed angrily.

Chen Yourun: ...

The older child tugged at the younger child's sleeve, reminding him, "This is Dad." "What's Dad? Dad can't be eaten! I want to eat meat with Mom!"

Chen Yourun: ...

Yin Lan: ...

She had just been touched that her two kids were so attached to her, but it turned out they were only after meat.

That's impressive.

Chen Yourun was utterly astonished. He wanted to say something, but when he met Erwa's angry glare, the words stuck in his throat. He didn't know what this woman had done to the child.

Perhaps it is the children's innate dependence on their mothers that makes them choose their mothers even when they are abused.

Having realized this, Chen Yourun felt even more bitter; he had missed too much of his children's growing up time.

Take it slow. Once they get to know each other better, the child will realize that he treats them better and will be willing to leave Yin Lan sooner.

It will only take a few days, and the child will have to suffer for a few more days.

Chen Yourun looked at Yin Lan, his gaze suddenly turning cold. He took out an ounce of silver and said, "These next few days, give the child some good food. Don't feed her any more coarse food and wild vegetables."

Erwa and Dawa were overjoyed.

Yin Lan took the money; why not? The child was his, so giving money was only right.

"You're eating here?" The two were about to break up, and Yin Lan wouldn't have asked that question if it weren't for the fact that he paid for it.

Chen Yourun's expression remained unpleasant. "I won't eat."

There probably won't be anything good to eat, and there won't be much. It'll be good enough if the kid can get enough to eat, then he won't fight for food anymore.

"OK."

If you don't want to eat it, then forget it.

Yin Lan waited for him to leave.

Chen Yourun didn't move. Seeing Yin Lan's urging and questioning look, he explained, "Let me see."

He wanted to see what was being eaten and whether there was enough.

Yin Lan was speechless. Just how little did they trust her? Look, look all you want, she wasn't afraid to look.

Yin Lan went to the outer room and continued to instruct Erwa to cook.

Chen Yourun's gaze fell on the rice that Erwa had filled.

He thought it would be millet, or at best, stale rice.

Unexpectedly, what Erwa grabbed from his tiny hands was a large, plump white rice.

It looks like...new rice?

Then Erwa's little hands grabbed a handful, then another handful, and yet another handful...

Chen Yourun thought it should be about right; there was more rice than he had imagined.

But Erwa's hands didn't stop at all, and he went on to do five, six, seven, eight... nine... ten, right?

He meant to say that he wasn't eating there.

Erwa grinned, "We'll have rice for dinner tonight!"

Chen Yourun almost coughed up a sound. White rice cooked into dry rice? The whole village probably couldn't afford such delicious food.

He looked away in surprise. Over at Yin Lan's side, Da Wa had finished killing the chicken and brought out a large porcelain bowl of chicken.

"Cough cough."

That big basin?

Outside, the eldest son brought in another fish.

"Mom, should we eat the fish today or tomorrow?"

There are even fish?

Chen Yourun was so startled that he coughed up.

He thought to himself, "It'll be tomorrow, of course. We'll have chicken and fish. This food is even better than what the landlords eat."

Yin Lan glanced at the fish, "The fish are all dead, they won't be fresh tomorrow, let's eat them today!"

The eldest and second children cheered.

Chen Yourun was so startled that he couldn't stop coughing.

Because it's not fresh? So you have to eat it right away?