After wiping his face, Xiao Yunying said, "Luo Li, I know you didn't mean it. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning you. We're just living separately. I will still take care of you."
Luo Li pouted, "Does living separately mean they don't want us anymore?"
Xiao Yunying tried her best to remain calm and said, "As you know, I am just a stepmother. I have no blood relation with you and I am an outsider who can never truly belong to you."
All feelings are reciprocal. No one wants to keep giving their feelings without receiving any response; sooner or later, they will become disheartened.
Since that's the case, why should I make things difficult for myself? Let's just go our separate ways. At least we'll both be free and unburdened, and you won't have to worry about me going astray all the time, right?
The last sentence was said in a joking tone, but Luo Li didn't find it funny. After hearing it, she felt even more like crying.
"No, my second brother said that my stepmother won't turn bad anymore. She married my father, so she's family, not an outsider."
As he spoke, he tried to come up and hug her legs again.
Xiao Yunying pushed his shoulder to stop him from coming closer: "You're still young, there are some things I can't explain to you. Anyway, I've made up my mind. Ask your older brother about the rest."
"stepmother……"
"Don't cry anymore, I'll take you to wash your face."
Xiao Yunying opened the door and saw Luo Yang standing in the doorway.
What are you doing standing here?
When did that kid get back? I wonder if he heard what she said.
It would be better if she heard that. Luo Yang is mature enough to be considered an adult, so he should be able to understand what she meant, saving her the trouble of explaining.
“I heard from my grandmother that Ali cried in front of her stepmother.”
“That’s a smooth way of saying ‘Grandma’,” Xiao Yunying said, pulling Luo Li over. “Hurry up, your second brother thinks I’m bullying you. Go tell him yourself.”
Luo Yang's cheeks flushed red from the sting, but he quickly composed himself.
Luo Li said in a muffled voice, "Second brother, my stepmother didn't bully me, she doesn't want us anymore... Waaah."
Xiao Yunying covered Luo Li's mouth and glanced in the direction of the kitchen: "Don't cry. Also, don't mention that I want to divorce Luo Sheng. Otherwise, I won't build you a house or give you any money. Luo Yang, take him to wash his face and explain it to him."
If her parents knew she wanted a divorce, they definitely wouldn't let her give the house to the Luo family, and they would nag her about it all the time.
Let's act first and tell our parents later, after the house is built and the deed is revised.
Xiao Yunying went to the kitchen, where Mu Lianrong was preparing to knead dough.
"Mother, what dishes are we making for lunch?"
"Daughter, you have an appetite now. Tell Mom what you want to eat."
Xiao Yunying had been drinking porridge with brown sugar for three days and was craving something savory: "I'm fine with anything, Mother, do you want some steamed buns?"
Mu Lianrong mixed the black and white flour in equal parts: "These are for us to eat. I'll make you a few pure white flour ones separately later."
"No need to give me special treatment, I'll eat the same food as everyone else. By the way, have you brought all the food I bought a couple of days ago?"
“Everything has been moved here. Mom has put it away for you, including cabinets and such. Anything that doesn’t fit in the house is in the woodshed.”
"Take out the food and eat it; consider it our food expenses."
"Don't talk to your mother about food expenses. Get out of my way."
Xiao Yunying didn't argue about it, and rolled up her sleeves: "Mother, I'll cook lunch. Did you bring all those bottles and jars from the kitchen?"
"They're all in the cupboard."
The kitchen at her mother's house was quite large, with a long table inside where various cooking utensils and vegetables were placed. Xiao Yunying took out all the bottles and jars and put them on the table.
Mu Lianrong kneaded dough in the wooden basin: "Yunyun, what are all these things? Your sister-in-law only recognized a few of the things you gave her last time, things called spices, but she doesn't recognize the rest."
Xiao Yunying opened the lids and looked at each one: "These are seasonings I bought in the city. They make delicious dishes. I'll show off my skills to my mother at noon."
“My daughter is capable. Last time you taught your sister-in-law how to make braised pork, although the result wasn’t as delicious as yours, it was still pretty good. Your older brothers almost fought over it at the dinner table.”
"It's not that exaggerated. By the way, where are Dad, and my eldest and second eldest brothers?"
Xiao Yunsong came in carrying two pheasants: "Little sister, are you looking for us?"
Mu Lianrong said, "This person really can't stand being nagged."
Xiao Yunying exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, a pheasant!"
Xiao Yunsong picked up a kitchen knife: "I specially went up the mountain to catch it for you. How is it? It's pretty plump, isn't it?"
Xiao Yunying remembered the taste of the pheasant she ate last time, and her eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled: "Thank you, Big Brother. Where's Second Brother? Is he still on the mountain?"
"Your second brother and father are still searching on the mountain to see if they can catch a few more. They asked me to bring them back first so as not to delay the lunch. Wait, your eldest brother will kill a chicken for you and stew it for us in a bit."
Xiao Yunying became interested: "Mother, what dishes are at home?"
Mu Lianrong set the kneaded dough aside to rest, took off her apron, and said, "Come on, let's go to the vegetable garden."
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