Yu Yin was helping her mother cook in the kitchen, while her sister-in-law sat in the yard with her daughter, occasionally swatting away mosquitoes.
"Mom, there are so many mosquitoes, they bite and it itches."
"Mom will chase it away for you. We'll go back in a few days, and then there won't be any mosquitoes. Our Nana, just bear with it."
Meanwhile, Yu Kang was exploring the yard with An An, and their startled cries carried far and wide.
“My little niece is very lively, much more so than her mother was when she was a child. Yu Yin has never been very talkative since she was a child.”
"Really? I've never heard of Yu Yin's childhood."
"When my mother was a child."
Pingping didn't play with her younger sister; she stayed by her father's side, occasionally glancing at Yu Anze, who was also there. This older brother was also very quiet.
"Yes, when your mother was a child."
Anze also looked at his father, seemingly wanting to hear the story as well.
"Uncle, tell me."
Pingping is not yet two years old, but she can understand a lot of what is being said and knows that her uncle is talking about her mother.
“Your mother was a late talker when she was little. Your second uncle can speak fluently now, but your mother still can’t talk. Your grandmother was very worried about what would happen if she never started talking.”
Yu Kai recalled that past event: he and his younger sister were assigned a task to keep talking to Yu Yin. He didn't know who his mother had heard it from, but by constantly talking to children, she gradually learned to speak.
In the end, neither he nor his younger sister could hold out; as soon as their friends called, they ran off to play. It was Yu Jun, who was a little over a year and a half old at the time, who persisted in talking to his sister, repeating all the words he knew. His efforts paid off; after more than two months, Yu Yin uttered her first words—or rather, not quite a sentence, but a clear "brother." Little Yu Jun was overjoyed, chattering away with delight.
Yu Kai thought about it and realized that he really hadn't done anything for Yu Yin.
As a child, Yu Yin was slow to react and was often bullied. Yu Qing disliked her and always avoided her. Yu Qing herself didn't care much about her, busy with her studies and playing with her friends. Yu Jun was always by her side, even fighting with the kids who called Yu Yin stupid, until his lip was bleeding. When some older women gossiped, Yu Jun would find an opportunity to block their chimneys, forcing those families to stay outside in the dead of winter.
Many things I thought I had forgotten, I actually remember. As the eldest brother, I really haven't done anything for my younger siblings, and even with our parents, what I've done is limited.
From graduating from university to starting work, he was busy building relationships with colleagues, dating, and later taking care of his own family. He neglected his parents and siblings who lived thousands of miles away.
Thinking about all this, Yu Kai couldn't continue. He felt ashamed towards his parents. As the eldest son, he had received the most from his grandparents and parents, but had given back the least.
Lu Shurui didn't disturb his brother-in-law's thoughts and took the two children to find his brother-in-law.
"An'an, what happened to you? Be careful, or your mom will give you a piece of her mind."
"I'll deal with you."
An'an was mimicking his father's speech, unaware that he was about to get a beating.
Looking at his eldest daughter covered in mud, Lu Shurui was helpless. The pretty girl, who had just changed into clean clothes that morning, now had dirty clothes, messy hair, and mud streaks on her face.
"Yu Kang, your sister will deal with you later, I won't stop her."
"Hey, brother-in-law, who are you from? I'm breaking off all ties with you."
"We're breaking off relations."
An'an chimed in, sticking her tongue out at her dad.
Pingping looked at her younger sister and couldn't stand it anymore. How could she be so silly?
"It's time to eat, everyone go wash your hands."
Yu Yin came out carrying a plate of vegetables; the table in the yard was already set up.
"Yu Kang, take the rest of you and set up the stools."
"Okay, I'll be right away."
Lu Shurui, holding her eldest daughter's hand, quickly tidied herself up while her mother wasn't looking, as she couldn't possibly look presentable like that.
"Dad, I want to eat."
An'an wanted to get away from her father, so she made a great effort towards the dinner table.
"You're kidding me. If you don't wash it properly, your mom will beat you later."
I picked up my eldest daughter, unaware of the impending danger, washed her face, and combed her hair again. Hmm, she's still fertile; she doesn't look like a little kitten anymore.
"Lu Xiangwan, what happened to you, covered in mud?"
"Mommy, I'm a kitten, meow meow..."
When An'an heard her own name, she knew her mother was angry, so she quickly tried to act cute to get away with it.
Although Yu Yin was angry, she didn't want to discipline the child in public. She gave An An a look that said, "You wait, you'll be home soon," before making her sit down.
Anna looked at An'an, who was covered in mud, and moved away in disgust. Yu Yin saw this but didn't argue with the child. However, she was unhappy with the obvious disgust in her sister-in-law's eyes.
"Mom, from now on, you can prepare whatever you want to eat. Don't call me back. I'm just doing all this work for no reward. People even complain that the food isn't hygienic, right, sister-in-law? From now on, you'll be in charge of cooking. We've been married for so many years, and I've never seen you cook for your in-laws even once."
"We're eating, why are you being sarcastic again? Can't eating shut you up?"
"What? The food's ready, and you don't need me anymore? How am I being sarcastic? My An'an got all muddy, and I didn't say anything. What, are you and Anna some kind of noble people, looking at me with such disdain? I wasn't planning on arguing with a child. Fine, if you like cleanliness, stay away. But, sister-in-law, what gives you the right to look at me with such disdain?"
Sister-in-law Yu didn't expect her sister-in-law to make a scene on the spot. She was just not used to the environment, and seeing An'an sitting at the table with her food all messy made her feel a little disgusted.
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