"I..."

Dongdong hesitated, which only fueled Jiang Yu's desire to conquer him. He was just a seven-year-old child; was it really that hard to change his mind?

“Look, how afraid were little sister Sui Sui and little brother Niannian of their aunt before? But they’re doing just fine now. Besides, no one stays the same; they change with the influence of society and the environment.”

After Jiang Yu finished speaking, she looked at the two siblings, Chen Suisui and Chen Niannian, who were bouncing around not far away, her eyes full of affection. In her opinion, children of this age should be able to tell whether someone's kindness to them is genuine or feigned.

That look undoubtedly gave Dongdong a choice. He recalled what his mother had told him: Aunt Jiang Yu not only gave him chicken, but also a string of candied hawthorns, which was enough to show that she was different from before. And Sui Sui Nian Nian had also said that their mother was much better now.

Dongdong was tempted. With Jiang Yu's approval, he took the sesame ball. He took a small bite, and the crunchy sound and sweet, crisp texture burst forth.

Wang Cuihua had already bought the vegetables, and seeing that Jiang Yu was nowhere to be seen, a bad premonition washed over her. If she had been kidnapped by human traffickers, her brothers Shen Ying would be frantic with worry.

"Sister-in-law, I'm here."

After talking with Dongdong, Jiang Yu looked up and saw Wang Cuihua's anxious expression, guessing that she was looking for her. It was strange, though; she wasn't worried about the other children playing around, but was only so anxious about her.

Wang Cuihua didn't tell her that Shen Ying had specifically instructed her to take good care of her before he left. And given his temperament, he wouldn't specifically discuss such a thing with Jiang Yu, so she was unaware. In his view, a man should just do his job; what's the point of saying anything?

Wang Cuihua let out a long sigh and slowly walked over. She found a brick to sit on, looked at the sesame balls in Dongdong's hand, and seemed to know something.

"Girl, sesame balls are so expensive. You can just buy them for the two little ones, Sui Sui and Nian Nian. Dong Dong is too big now, and these might not even fill him up. It would just be a waste of your money."

After saying that, she glanced at Dongdong, her eyes full of reproach. The Shen brothers had already helped their family so much; how could they still be so insensible?

Dongdong lowered his head, not daring to look her in the eye, and didn't even dare to chew the sesame balls stuffed in his mouth. Thinking that Jiang Yu certainly wouldn't plead for his mother, he regretted it. He should have known better than to refuse; now he was in a dilemma, not eating was also awkward, and he'd lost face.

Jiang Yu knew Wang Cuihua was embarrassed and expressed her understanding. However, seeing Dongdong's troubled expression, she felt a little sorry for him. Well, a child is still a child; it's nothing to eat a little something.

"Sister-in-law, Dongdong clearly refused from the beginning, but I insisted on giving it to him. I bought it not only for him but also for you. It's a waste of food if you don't eat it, so you can decide what to do with it."

She shoved the sesame ball into Wang Cuihua's hand, deliberately keeping a half-meter distance. Pretending to be unhappy, she didn't forget to comfort Dongdong:

"Eat up, eat up. Your aunt bought this for you because you helped your aunt take care of your younger brother and sister."

Dongdong was so moved he almost choked up. He hadn't expected that Aunt Jiang Yu hadn't lied to him after all; everyone would change.

"This...this is too much trouble."

Wang Cuihua looked embarrassed and troubled. It was one thing for the children to eat, but what about her, an adult? However, seeing that Jiang Yu was determined, she forced the food into her mouth. After eating and resting for a while, they still needed to buy the remaining things—couplets, firecrackers, and so on—which was quite a task.

While they were resting, Shen Niannian noticed a small stall surrounded by many children and curiously squeezed in. The stall owner was an elderly man in his seventies, holding a green tin frog. The frog had round eyes and beautiful patterns on its back.

There's a spring on the side; when you wind it up and put it on the ground, it bounces back and forth. The kids all clamored for their parents to buy it for them.

Shen Niannian watched for a long time without getting enough, and didn't even hear his sister calling him.

Suddenly, he was jostled hard and fell to the ground. There was a stone right under his feet, and he hit his knee squarely.

Shen Niannian endured the pain and got up. Seeing that it was Zhang Xinhua's son, Shen Bo, who had pushed him, he swallowed his anger. Shen Bo, like Dongdong, was in the first grade of elementary school. However, compared to the slender Dongdong, Shen Bo was as fat as a chubby dumpling.

Not only him, but many children fell down after being pushed by Shen Bo. However, apart from Shen Niannian, none of the others were hit by the stone.

Like his mother, Shenbo was used to running rampant in the village, and few dared to provoke him. Everyone made way for him and kept their distance.

Because Shen Niannian had bumped her knee, she had some difficulty standing up and was kicked hard by him. Tears, as big as beans, dripped onto the ground, creating a beautiful spectacle.

"roll."

Shen Bo, hands on his hips, looked like a little tyrant and roared at Shen Niannian. His mother, Zhang Xinhua, wanted to stop him, but seeing that he was Jiang Yu's son, she pretended not to see it.

When Shen Suisui came to find her younger brother, she saw this scene and clenched her fists in anger. Taking advantage of Shen Bo's inattention, she kicked him in the butt with all her might.

Shen Bo covered his buttocks, and upon seeing it was Shen Suisui, he angrily cursed:

"You little slut, you're just as shameless as your mother. You dare hit me? Don't you want to live anymore?"

Zhang Xinhua talked about village affairs without any reservations at home, and Shen Bo often overheard the village gossip. Hearing his mother call Shen Sui Sui's mother that, he also followed suit and cursed her.

When Zhang Xinhua saw that her son had been bullied, she rushed over and slapped Shen Suisui, not forgetting to scold her.

"No wonder he's that little slut's child, just like his mother. Bah, shameless, he even dared to hit my son, he's got a death wish."

Seeing his mother come to his aid, Shen Bo looked smug. These two siblings combined couldn't beat him, and with his mother on the side, he'd show them today that he wasn't someone to be trifled with.

The children who were watching were frightened when they saw the adults hitting the children, and they all went to find their parents. Dongdong, who was not far away, witnessed everything and quickly ran to Jiang Yu and Wang Cuihua to tell them what had happened.

When Jiang Yu heard that her child had been beaten and that it was Zhang Xinhua and her son who were behind it, she immediately became very agitated. She found out the location of the stall and ran over there.

At this moment, Zhang Xinhua looked down at the siblings with a domineering air, as if she wanted to devour them. The old man at the stall couldn't bear to see the two children being bullied.

His attempts to mediate were futile, and he sighed repeatedly. He wondered to himself, "Why aren't the child's parents here yet?"

Jiang Yu approached the stall, bent down, pulled Niannian up and hugged her, and with her other hand pulled Shen Suisui over to shield the child. The surrounding crowd began to worry.

The two children were no match for the other child, and their mother looked frail and delicate, almost like a sickly beauty. In contrast, the mother of the child who hit the other looked strong and powerful, having worked in the fields year-round; there was simply no comparison.