The morning sun had just climbed over the courtyard wall and fallen on the chimney of the kitchen when Lin Wanqiu was scooping rice into the pot. She heard a sweet, delicate voice coming from outside the gate, like a needle dipped in sugar water, making her heart flutter: "Is Sister Wanqiu home? It's Jasmine, I've come to see you and Nian'an!"
Lin Wanqiu paused, her brows furrowing instantly—Lin Moli's arrival at this time was surely no good. Last time, she'd tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing everything, not only losing her own eggs but also earning a reputation for being "stingy" in the village. Now, she dared to come to her door again; she must have conspired with Old Lady Shen to cause her trouble.
"Mom, who is it?" Shen Nian'an came out of the inner room carrying a small porcelain bowl. There was still some leftover cured meat rice from last night in the bowl, and his little face was covered with rice grains, making him look like a little kitten who had just stolen a bite. Hearing the sound outside the door, he curiously went to the door and wanted to see outside.
"Don't open the door, it's your Aunt Jasmine." Lin Wanqiu quickly pulled her son back and hid him behind her. "Mom will go see what she's up to first. You stay in the room and don't come out." She was afraid that Lin Jasmine would play some tricks again and scare Nian'an.
Lin Wanqiu wiped her hands, walked to the courtyard gate, and did not open the gate completely, leaving only a crack to reveal half of her face: "Jasmine, is there something you need so early? I'm about to make breakfast for Nian'an, so I'm afraid I won't have time to entertain you."
Lin Moli, standing outside the door, wore a faded floral blouse, her hair neatly combed, and a touch of rouge on her face, looking much more energetic than last time. She carried a cloth bag, and upon seeing Lin Wanqiu open the door, she immediately adopted a pitiful expression, her eyes red-rimmed as if she had suffered a great injustice: "Sister Wanqiu, I know I was wrong last time, I shouldn't have misunderstood you. I've come to apologize." As she spoke, she pushed the cloth bag forward, "These are eggs my mother asked me to bring for Nian'an, to help her recover. Please accept them."
Lin Wanqiu glanced at the cloth bag and sneered inwardly—last time, Lin Moli used eggs as a pretext to try to steal her things, and now she's doing the same thing again. Does she really think she's a fool? She didn't take the cloth bag and said in a flat tone, "No need. Nian'an has been eating well lately and doesn't need eggs. If you don't have anything else, you can go back first. I still need to cook."
"Sister Wanqiu, are you still angry with me?" Lin Moli's eyes reddened even more, and her voice trembled with tears. "I know I was confused last time and misunderstood you because of what others were saying. I came here not only to apologize to you, but also to tell you something about the Shen family, in case you're kept in the dark."
Lin Wanqiu's heart skipped a beat—as expected, Lin Moli had come to sow discord. She wanted to hear what Lin Moli had to say. She stepped aside and said, "Come in, let's talk inside."
A smug smile immediately appeared on Lin Moli's face. She strode into the courtyard, glancing around as if searching for something. She followed Lin Wanqiu into the inner room and saw Shen Nian'an sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), learning characters with flashcards. A hint of jealousy flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it, revealing a gentle smile: "Nian'an is so good. She's already learning characters at such a young age. Sister Wanqiu, you've taught her so well."
Shen Nian'an glanced up at her, said nothing, and then lowered his head to continue studying the characters. Although he was young, he remembered that Lin Moli had secretly taken his mother's things when she last visited, and he didn't have a good impression of this Aunt Moli.
Lin Moli was not embarrassed when she was rebuffed. She took Lin Wanqiu's hand and said in a low voice, "Sister Wanqiu, let me tell you, yesterday when I went to Grandma Shen's house to deliver something, I heard Grandma Shen and Aunt Shen talking badly about you. They said that you... said that you found a wild man and secretly hid meat to eat, not sharing it with the Shen family, and that you wanted to take away all of the Shen family's property."
Lin Wanqiu sneered inwardly. It was indeed Old Madam Shen who had sent her. She feigned surprise: "Really? They really said that about me? When did I ever have an affair? He's just a friend of mine, here to help me out. And meat? I don't have any meat to eat, I just occasionally cook some sweet potato porridge. How could they slander me like that?"
"I knew you were wronged, Wanqiu!" Lin Moli immediately chimed in, her tone full of indignation. "Grandma Shen and Aunt Shen went too far. Even if you're a widow, they can't treat you like this! But Wanqiu, I think you shouldn't go against them too much. After all, they're from the Shen family, and it'll damage your reputation if word gets out. I think you should apologize to them and give them some of what you've hidden. Then they won't bother you anymore."
Lin Wanqiu's anger flared up instantly—Lin Moli's words were so clever; ostensibly for her own good, but in reality, she was helping Old Lady Shen get what she wanted. Suppressing her anger, she feigned hesitation: "But… I really didn't hide anything. Even if I wanted to back down, I wouldn't have anything to offer. Besides, I'm a widow with a child, and life is so hard for me. They not only don't help me, but they also make things difficult for me at every turn. Why should I back down?"
“Sister Wanqiu, you can’t say that,” Lin Moli quickly advised. “Grandma Shen is your mother-in-law, and Aunt Shen is your sister-in-law. If you fall out with them, it will be even harder for you to stay in the Shen family. I heard that before Brother Shen sacrificed his life, he left behind some compensation money. Did you hide it? If you give the compensation money to Grandma Shen, she definitely won’t bother you anymore.”
Lin Wanqiu's heart skipped a beat—Lin Moli actually knew about the compensation! This compensation was issued by the army after Shen Tingzhou's "sacrifice," and she had kept it hidden in the cellar without telling anyone. How could Lin Moli know? Could it be that Old Lady Shen told her?
She feigned confusion: "Compensation? I haven't received any! The military has never given me compensation. Are you sure you heard me right?"
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