Song Baogen's second son said, "It was my second sister who took a knife and slashed us, and she also injured my eldest sister."
The older sister mentioned by Song Baogen's second son is the eldest daughter of Song Hanwen and Ding Xiaofen.
Ding Xiaofen glared at her eldest daughter.
Her eldest daughter then explained, "My sister snatched my brothers' toys and secretly took a knife to slash them, so I..."
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Ding Xiaofen interrupted her daughter, grabbed her eldest daughter and started hitting her. "I told you to take good care of your sister, and you're helping outsiders bully your own sister?"
Song Yinhua stopped her, "Why are you hitting the child instead of disciplining her for making a mistake? Luckily, your eldest daughter blocked it, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"My second daughter is very well-behaved." Ding Xiaofen's subtext was that her second daughter was indeed the problem, and it was other people's fault.
Taking advantage of the situation, Song Erniu said, "Yinhua, I know you're jealous of my eldest brother's second daughter. The fortune teller said she'll be successful in the future."
Suddenly, when no one was paying attention, Ding Xiaofen's second daughter rushed up and pushed the twins. Song Yinhua instinctively reached out and pulled Ding Xiaofen's second daughter back.
Song Erniu immediately stepped forward to protect her eldest brother's second daughter, "Song Yinhua, you're an adult, why are you being so petty and bullying a child?"
The three-year-old twins stood in front of Song Yinhua, saying to Song Erniu, "You're not allowed to talk about my mother like that!"
Song Yinhua picked up her two children and said to Song Erniu, "If you have any eye problems, I can recommend an eye hospital to you."
Huo Jianguo came in at this moment and took the child from Song Yinhua.
When Song Erniu saw Huo Jianguo arrive, she immediately did a complete 180-degree turn, smiling politely and saying, "It's just kids playing around, it's nothing."
Song Baogen and the others came in as well. Seeing his uncle's family, they already guessed what was going on.
After everyone had left, Song Baogen came over to Song Yinhua and said, "A few years ago, Song Hanwen's factory went bankrupt and he moved back to the village. After I opened a pig farm, the annual income was quite considerable, and I also hired many villagers to work. But there have always been people causing trouble behind my back, poisoning the pigs, and reporting me, which almost caused my pig farm to be shut down. I know that this matter is inseparable from my uncle's family. Sister, please tell your two nephews to stay away from my uncle's family, especially my uncle's second granddaughter."
"Mom, it hurts." Song Yinhua's youngest son raised his hand, which had a small red bloodstain on it.
"How did this happen?" Song Yinhua asked, her heart aching at the bloodstains on her son's little hands.
The child is only three years old; he doesn't know how he did it.
My hand suddenly started to hurt.
"I have some Band-Aids at home." Song Baogen asked his eldest son to go to the drawer in his room and get some Band-Aids.
Song Yinhua tenderly put a band-aid on her youngest son and refused to let either of her sons out of her sight for even a second.
As the banquet was about to begin, Song Yinhua still hadn't seen Huo Jianguo.
At that moment, on the hilltop above the house, Song Erniu was talking to Huo Jianguo.
Before she could finish speaking, Huo Jianguo interrupted her with a reserved tone, "I don't want to hear these baseless words a second time, and you should think twice about what you're saying!"
"Go ask around, everyone in the village knows Yinhua is promiscuous. In the years you were away, she often came into her room with other men in the middle of the night to fool around with her. I don't want you to be a sucker, getting cheated on and having to raise someone else's child." As Song Erniu spoke, she accidentally stumbled and fell into Huo Jianguo's arms.
Huo Jianguo dodged with restraint, and Song Erniu almost fell to the ground.
"The fortune teller said that Yinhua is restless and likes to seduce wild men everywhere..." Song Erniu suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She looked up and saw that Huo Jianguo's narrow eyes were full of coldness.
Huo Jianguo glanced coldly at Song Erniu, who was dressed in heavy makeup like a prostitute for the funeral, and walked away expressionlessly.
-
Song Caixing found a secluded spot, took out her mobile phone, and made a call: "Where's Xiaohua? Has she arrived yet?"
"Xiao Xiaohua is doing her homework at home and doesn't have time to come over," Xie Daguang's voice came from the other end of the phone.
“Today is her grandfather’s funeral, how can she not come?” Song Caixing’s tone was a little harsh. “Tell her to do her homework tonight and come over right away.”
"I told you, my daughter isn't going!" Xie Daguang's tone also revealed his bad mood.
"Xie Daguang, what are you trying to do? When my father died, you wouldn't let my daughter come to see him one last time, and now you're not letting her attend her maternal grandfather's funeral?"
"Song Caixing, don't think I don't know. You just want my daughter to go with your older sister. Don't even think about taking my daughter away!" Xie Daguang also laid his cards on the table. "When I get old, I'll be counting on my daughter. Nobody will take her away from me!"
"Xie Daguang, are you out of your mind? Let your daughter go with my eldest sister so she can find a good husband in the future. Do you want her to stay in this poor, remote place forever and end up like us?"
"You think you can't find a good husband if you stay in the village? Do you think everyone is like you?" Xie Daguang hit Song Caixing where it hurt.
The two started arguing on the phone.
Xie Daguang hung up the phone immediately, ignoring Song Caixing's rambling.
He regretted falling for Song Caixing back then.
If he hadn't fallen for her back then, he wouldn't have been so frightened by Song Baogen's sudden intrusion into their bridal chamber on their wedding night that he developed problems in that area and was unable to have children again.
Song Caixing also resented Xie Daguang. Seeing the phone call that Xie Daguang had hung up on, she was furious.
How could I have been tricked into having sex with such a scoundrel back then?
She got pregnant before marriage.
If she hadn't been deceived by his sweet words, she wouldn't have gotten pregnant out of wedlock and given birth to a daughter, nor would she have felt that no respectable family would want her because she had given birth to a child, and would have had no choice but to listen to Song Qiuxue and marry a drug addict, suffering a lifetime of torment.
Even her daughter isn't close to her as her mother.
As Song Caixing recalled her past, tears welled up in her eyes.
If she had listened to her older sister and ignored Xie Daguang back then, she wouldn't be in this state now.
Song Caixing now deeply regrets her actions.
-
After Song Erzhuang's funeral, Song Yinhua and her family of four prepared to return home.
That evening, Qiao Guilan pulled Song Yinhua aside to talk.
“Yinhua, it breaks my heart to see you taking care of two children all by yourself. How about I come with you and help you take care of the children?”
Qiao Guilan was determined to marry off her daughter and enjoy a life of luxury.
“Wenxiu is hard to get along with. She’s given me a lot of trouble in the past. Baogen is afraid of his wife. I help them take care of the children, but Wenxiu always complains about me. I’m having a hard time. Yinhua, take me with you. Your father is gone, and if Mom is alone at home, she’ll be bullied to death by Wenxiu.”
"Mom, you're leaving with me. What about Baogen's two children? Baogen and Wenxiu are busy managing the pig farm. Are you really willing to abandon your son and grandson?"
Qiao Guilan smiled awkwardly, "Yinhua, I just wanted to discuss with you about sending Baogen's two children and Caixing's son to your school as well. I'm in good health, and I can definitely take care of all the children together."
"Does Baogen know about this?"
“As long as you agree, Baogen will definitely have no objections.”
“I disagree,” Song Yinhua said clearly. “Baogen and Caixing’s children are doing well in school here. First of all, it would be very inconvenient to transfer them to another school. Secondly, if they miss home or can’t adapt after staying in another place for a while, they will have to come back to study. This back-and-forth transfer is very troublesome.”
“They won’t have trouble adjusting,” Qiao Guilan said. “With Mom here, they won’t miss home.”
"Mom, don't make things difficult. You're healthy now, so help Baogen and Caixing take care of the children for a while. I'll bring you over for a short stay during the winter and summer vacations."
“Then I’ll take Cai Xing’s son to your place.” Qiao Guilan took a step back. “Cai Xing will definitely agree. She’s always wanted her daughter to go with you. This idea was Cai Xing’s. You absolutely mustn’t tell Cai Xing’s mother that she sold her.”
Song Yinhua knew very well that if she really brought her biological mother to live with her, trouble would definitely arise.
"Mom, I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I can't take you with me. Take good care of yourself at home. We can talk on the phone if anything happens. I have to go out now. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now." Song Yinhua picked up her bag and was about to leave.
Qiao Guilan took out two red envelopes. "These are gifts for your two children. Keep them, but don't tell Wenxiu and Caixing that I gave your two children red envelopes. They'll be angry."
"Mom, no need!" Song Yinhua was speechless.
"Quickly accept it, quickly accept it!" Qiao Guilan wiped her tears with the corner of her clothes. "I don't know when we'll see each other again after you leave. This red envelope isn't for you, it's for my two grandsons. Please don't let Wenxiu and Caixing know."
Song Yinhua reluctantly accepted the red envelope, picked up her bag, and left.
When Qiao Guilan saw Song Yinhua leave, she went to the small house at the foot of the mountain.
The place was big, and Huo Jianguo was playing there with several children.
The group consisted of boys who ran around spraying each other with toy water guns, their laughter audible from afar.
The twins were the youngest, running after their three older brothers.
As they ran, they disappeared.
In the blink of an eye, Huo Jianguo discovered that only three of the five children remained; the twins who had been so lively just moments before were gone.
He quickly asked the three children, "Where are the twins?"
Song Baogen's second son pointed behind his brother, "Behind my brother... Where is he?"
Only then did they realize that their youngest twin brother was missing.
They were clearly running behind me, and I even heard them laughing.
Huo Jianguo led his three children to search for the baby, almost stepping on the little guy in the process.
The two little ones lay on the ground and fell fast asleep.
In the darkness, if Huo Jianguo hadn't been alert, he would have stepped on it.
Qiao Guilan came over at this time and told them to go back to sleep.
Huo Jianguo carried the two children and walked behind. Qiao Guilan watched as her two grandsons and one grandson ran off into the distance. She then turned to chat with Huo Jianguo.
As they chatted, Qiao Guilan brought up Song Yinhua.
"The fortune teller said Yinhua was destined to be a concubine, that she was promiscuous, and that she didn't cheat on you..."
"Mom!" Huo Jianguo interrupted coldly, "My wife is your own daughter, so stop saying things like that."
Qiao Guilan sensed the coldness emanating from Huo Jianguo and explained, "Mom is worried that you'll be wronged. My Yinhua is not good enough for you. Don't look down on Yinhua. If she does anything to wrong you..."
"I've made my wife suffer a lot of grievances." Huo Jianguo interrupted coldly, "Mom, for the sake of you being my wife's mother, this is the last time."
Qiao Guilan wanted to say something more.
Huo Jianguo didn't give her another chance, and strode into the yard with his sleeping twin sons in his arms.
Qiao Guilan entered the courtyard dejectedly, and when she looked up, she saw Song Caixing standing outside.
She paused, worried that the other woman had overheard what she had just said.
"Caixing, what are you doing standing outside? When did you come out?" Qiao Guilan asked.
"I just came out and am waiting for my older sister."
Qiao Guilan comforted herself, thinking that Song Caixing probably hadn't heard anything.
Song Caixing watched her mother enter the yard; she had heard everything her mother had said to her brother-in-law.
Getting old is never easy.
She secretly despised her mother for stirring up trouble behind her back, but deep down she also had a sliver of hope that her mother would succeed in doing so.
-
Song Yinhua rode Li Wenxiu's electric bike to the Xie family's house in Huojiabao Village.
Xie Daguang sat at the table, eating peanuts and drinking a little wine, while nagging incessantly at Xiao Xiaohua, who was doing her homework next to him.
“...You can’t listen to your mother and abandon your father. You are my only daughter, the apple of my eye, my life. If you leave, I can’t live.”
Little Flower wished she could plug her ears.
She'd heard those words so many times she was sick of them.
After finishing his drink, Xie Daguang was about to go out to play cards with someone.
"Dad has to go out tonight. When you go to sleep, make sure your bedroom door is closed. Don't go out tonight. Dad will lock the main room door. If anyone tries to break in or bully you, just call Dad."
Xie Daguang was afraid that his only girl would run away while he was away from home, so he locked the door of the main room with a black lock before going out to play cards.
Little Flower's tears fell onto the book.
When Song Yinhua arrived, she saw that the lights were on in the main room, but the door was locked from the outside.
"Little Flower?" Song Yinhua saw the girl inside through the glowing crack in the door.
"Mommy!" Little Flower called out instinctively, running over with surprise, "You've come to see me?"
As Song Yinhua looked at the locked door, about to ask who locked it, Xiao Xiaohua slipped a key she had secretly made through the crack in the door.
“My dad locked it because he was afraid I would run away and abandon him.”
Song Yinhua unlocked the black lock, pushed open the door, and Xiao Xiaohua excitedly rushed into her arms.
"Mommy, I miss you so much," Little Flower said, crying.
Song Yinhua hugged her and handed her the gift she had brought especially for her.
“Little Flower, do you want to come with me? If so, I’ll talk to your dad,” Song Yinhua said.
Little Flower got conflicted.
She really wanted to go with Song Yinhua.
She doesn't like it here.
She dislikes her mother who tries to control everything she does, and she also dislikes her father who is always afraid she will run away.
But she won't leave.
"I'm not leaving, I want to stay," Xiaohua said after struggling with the decision. "My dad only has me left, and I don't want my biological mother to have a good life."
Little Flower is too young to resist Song Caixing, but she is mentally competing with Song Caixing.
If Song Caixing tells her to go east, she will go west.
Song Caixing told her to go west, but she insisted on going east.
Song Caixing told her to please Song Yinhua and leave with her, but she insisted on staying, determined not to make things easy for her.
Who told her to forcibly take her away from Song Yinhua back then?
Song Yinhua noticed Xiao Xiaohua's inner struggle and advised her not to let this struggle affect her life.
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