The news that Chen Yunyun's two older children had been sent to study in the commune quickly spread throughout the village, and all sorts of rumors circulated about it.

Chen Yunyun ignored them completely; there was no need for her to explain to these people.

Those who tried to advise her or teach her how to do things responded with a fake smile and said nothing.

Over time, those people got bored and stopped talking about it.

Da Wa Niu Niu and Hu Zi have to leave home every morning around six o'clock.

It was still dark outside, and the mountain road was dangerous, so Chen Yunyun made them a torch.

When the children came back in the evening, Tiger dropped his schoolbag and immediately went to tell Chen Yunyun about it.

“Godmother, that Xiao Gang from next door always walks behind us and tries to steal our torches.”

“We walk fast and he can’t keep up. He even told the teacher today that we didn’t wait for him.”

Tiger was sulking, and even Niu Niu pouted, clearly unhappy with Xiao Gang's actions.

Chen Yunyun calmly told the children to put down their schoolbags and have a drink of hot water.

Then he took the initiative to ask, "Did your teacher say anything?"

Niu Niu knew the answer to this question, and she volunteered, "Teacher Xia is a very nice person; she didn't criticize us."

Tiger chimed in, "That's right! Teacher Xia Fang also said that Xiao Gang should come to us to discuss it, and if we agree, we can go together."

"As a result, Xiao Gang got angry and said that Teacher Xia was targeting him."

“Xiao Gang shouldn’t have been in our class in the first place. They don’t have a teacher in second grade, so they have to share a classroom with us.”

With the children talking amongst themselves, Chen Yunyun finally understood what was going on.

It wasn't a big deal, and she didn't plan to get involved.

Children should be allowed to handle their own affairs.

It took Xiaogang more than three hours to walk home from the house next door.

It was already dark when he tripped and fell on the road, ending up with a bruised and swollen face.

As soon as I got home, all the lights in the main room were turned off.

As usual, everyone had eaten dinner and was getting ready for bed.

Xiao Gang was carrying a bundle of books in a cloth bag, but he couldn't lift it at all. The bag dragged on the ground. He pounded on the door and weakly called out, "Mom, open the door, I'm hungry."

There was a noise inside, and Lin Li came over and opened the door for the child. "Xiao Gang is back. Come in quickly. Did you do well at school today?"

Xiao Gang frowned, looking somewhat unhappy, and muttered, "I'm hungry, I want to eat."

Lin Li couldn't resist her precious son's insistence, so she agreed, "Okay, okay, Mom specially saved some food for you, it's all in the pot."

She quickly went to get the vegetables and let Xiaogang eat them.

Seeing a plate of dark, unappetizing food made Xiaogang feel nauseous.

He ate a couple of bites, but couldn't resist the hunger in his stomach, so he ate anyway.

He complained, "Don't we have any toon leaves at home? There are so many toon leaves outside, how hard is it to stir-fry them?"

Lin Li chimed in, expressing her displeasure with Kong Guihua, who used her pregnancy as an excuse to stay home and cook, and she would seize any opportunity to kick her while she was down.

"It's all your second aunt's fault for being lazy and not cooking. She only makes leftovers and secretly saves all the good food for Fu Bao. She's a good-for-nothing, yet she cares so much about her."

Lin Li kept her voice very low, so that only she and her son could hear her.

Xiao Gang nodded in complete agreement.

If it weren't for Fu Bao's good luck, he would have been the eldest grandson in the family, and all the good food and drink would have been for him!

"How did you feel about school today?" Lin Li was still very concerned about her son.

Xiao Gang frowned, feeling annoyed as he thought about what had happened during the day. "So annoying."

"What's wrong? Tell your mother, did someone bully you?"

"It's that family next door. They had a torch but wouldn't lend it to me. They walked ahead and left me behind. Look at all the injuries I have."

Xiao Gang rolled up his sleeves, revealing some bruises and abrasions.

Lin Li was heartbroken. She said in a shrill voice, "Is it really necessary to be so stingy? It's just a torch. What's wrong with having one more person to carry it?"

"We're all from the same village, why are you so petty?"

Xiao Gang didn't mention that he didn't walk fast enough to use the torchlight.

Lin Li had completely forgotten that not long ago she had written a letter of denunciation, trying to send Chen Yunyun to a labor camp...

At this moment, Xu Zhijin came out of the old lady's room and saw Lin Li, saying, "Why aren't you going to your mother's room to serve her? What are you doing here, shirking your duties?"

Lin Li rolled her eyes. Ever since the old lady got injured last time, she had been bedridden and hadn't gone to work every day.

She not only has to work during the day, but also has to take care of her old woman when she gets home at night. She's so annoyed by it.

“My sister-in-law is here, so I won’t go over. I’m clumsy, and Mom will definitely find me annoying.”

Only a fool would go; he'd only get scolded by the old woman anyway. Lin Li had no desire to move at all.

After Xiaogang finished eating, he called out "Dad".

Xu Zhijin nodded in agreement, saying, "You little rascal, study hard. It's not easy for your family to earn money..."

Before Xu Zhijin could finish speaking, his son interrupted him, "Dad, make me a torch. I need it to go to school tomorrow, otherwise I won't be able to see the road."

Xiao Gang showed his wounds to his father, saying, "Look, I fell down today."

Lin Li chimed in, "That's right, look how badly the child fell."

As she spoke, Lin Li couldn't help but try to put down the family next door, "Hmph, they didn't even need to do it, it's just that your neighbor is so stingy, they won't even let my son touch the torch."

"Who cares? It's like anyone can't afford it," Lin Li said sarcastically, her voice as if she was afraid Chen Yunyun wouldn't hear her.