Da Wang picked up his cotton coat and walked towards Lin Lan, not seeming to be afraid of the cold at all.

Lin Lan saw that they were all cold, and felt so distressed, "Son, put on your clothes quickly, don't catch a cold in this cold weather." There were two people lying on the kang, and she didn't want Da Wang to catch a cold. During the Qingming Festival, her three sons all went swimming in the cold weather.

Dawang: “Nothing.”

His body was wet and he didn't want to get his clothes wet.

Lin Lan didn't care why the two women behind were crying. If they wanted to complain, they could go to the branch secretary and the team leader. They didn't dare to come to her house to cause trouble, so she followed Da Wang's house.

When he got home, Da Wang first changed his trousers into clean ones, wiped his body and hair, and then put on his clothes.

When he came out, Lin Lan quickly handed him a bowl of ginger egg soup and said, "Da Wang, don't be so impulsive next time. If you want to kick them, just kick them. Why did you go down there yourself?"

Da Wang finished the drink in one gulp, beads of sweat appearing on the tip of his nose. "If I go down, they won't dare to come and make noises."

Lin Lan: “…”

She remembered and asked hurriedly, "What's going on?" This matter is definitely not that simple.

Da Wang: “You are not angry.” That’s what it means if you are not angry.

Lin Lan: "...I'm not, angry." I wasn't angry before I heard it, but I'll see what happens after I hear it.

Da Wang briefly stated the information he had obtained from the interrogation. He was the same as Han Qingsong, who could only say two words instead of three. He just used the most concise and dry language to make his meaning clear.

To sum it up, a group of kids got excited while playing and made a bet to go swimming a lap, but the idiot Sanwang got fooled and ended up having a leg cramp, so they all ran away.

As for Xiaowang, he must have fallen down while trying to save his third brother.

When Lin Lan heard this, her hands and feet immediately went cold. This Sanwang!!! He was so impatient! Not only did he fall into the river in the cold weather, but he also dragged Xiaowang into the river.

She was so angry that she picked up a broom and went into the house to beat him up.

But now Sanwang finally fell asleep, his face wrinkled, his body curled up, shivering unconsciously in the quilt. Although the scar on his forehead was lighter, it was still a distinct crescent, and her heart softened again.

If he had justified his actions by talking back, evading, or shirking responsibility, she would have certainly given him a good beating, but now that he was sleeping so pitifully, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Wait until he wakes up and then give him a good lesson!

As she thought about this, she felt panicky and scared, as if she had been thrown into a bottomless abyss, sinking down, not knowing when she would reach the bottom. She was most afraid that Sanwang could not stand provocation, could not tolerate provocation or denial, and would get angry when provoked.

His anger is different from Da Wang's. Da Wang fights face to face, punches hard and beats the opponent until he is convinced. But he proves himself through something and then surprises and convinces others. In this way, he is usually the one who suffers.

Nowadays, little kids can't tolerate it. They are so strong-willed and can't stand being denied or provoked. They must fight to the death.

In his previous life, he was struck to death by lightning when he went to swim in a reservoir during a rainstorm because he was too arrogant and refused to admit defeat.

She thought she was confident that she could change the children's miserable fate in their previous lives, but at this moment she suddenly lost her confidence and felt extremely anxious and guilty.

What if, what if... he repeats the same mistake again? Lin Lan feels that she would rather have never traveled through time and space and never developed any feelings for him. Then she won't be so heartbroken that she can't face the tragic tragedy.

She was really scared.

She was an optimistic and strong person, and had never been afraid of anything, even when she first came here and had to take care of a bunch of naughty kids, a man of unknown depth, and a family of extremes, she was never afraid.

At this moment, she was really afraid that she had not changed their outcome, and in the end the family was still broken apart.

If anything happened to the children, even just one of them, she would feel like the sky was falling.

Da Wang saw Lin Lan standing there, motionless like a piece of wood, her eyes were empty and her eye sockets were red, her face was getting paler and paler, her two hands were tightly holding the broom, her veins were bulging, and finally her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

He grabbed Lin Lan's hand, took the broom from her hand, and helped her sit down on the kang.

"It's okay." He softened his voice.

Hearing his voice, Lin Lan's eyes turned and looked at him.

Da Wang knew that she was frightened by San Wang's behavior, and patted her shoulder, "It's okay."

He looked outside and saw Mai Sui standing there with her eyes swollen like peaches from crying.

Da Wang: "You stay with mom, I'll go see dad and Er Wang."

Mai Sui nodded and took a comb to comb Lin Lan's hair. Whenever she felt uncomfortable, Lin Lan would comb her hair and sing a song.

Not long after Da Wang left the village, he met Han Qingsong and Erwang who were hurrying back.

He kept up with Han Qingsong at the same pace and reported the events briefly.

Han Qingsong didn't say anything after hearing this, he just walked home quickly. As soon as he entered the house, he began to unbutton his clothes, and when he reached the kang, he took off his coat that was covered in mud.

Mai Sui saw him coming back and quickly made way for him.

Han Qingsong reached out and held the trembling Lin Lan in his arms, stroking her back and saying softly, "It's okay."

"Third brother..." Lin Lan lay in his arms. Her heart, which had been falling, was suddenly held back and safely put away. She finally cried out loud.

Facing her crying face, Han Qingsong's heart was as painful as being stabbed with a knife. He touched her hair and kissed the top of her head, his voice softer than ever before, "Don't be afraid, I'm here for you."

…

Da Wang gave Mai Sui and Er Wang a look, and the three of them left quietly, leaving the space to their parents.

Lin Lan calmed down quickly.

She was just scared by her own crazy thoughts and her negative emotions exploded. When she saw Han Qingsong, she calmed down. She wanted to be a strong mother, so she couldn't be so fragile. She believed that the child would grow up safely, and she also believed that she could definitely turn Sanwang around.

She was afraid that the children would laugh at her so she wiped her tears quickly, but she saw that only she, Han Qingsong, Sanwang and Xiaowang were in the room sleeping on the kang. The other three children were gone, probably because they had hidden away.

She was relieved in her heart. Her children were all sensible and Sanwang was also a good boy. He would learn from his mistakes and would surely correct them.

Han Qingsong stroked her back with his big hands and wiped her tears with a towel.

At this time, the voices of Dong Huaihua and others were heard outside. Lin Lan hurriedly got up and went out with Han Qingsong, and saw Dong Huaihua, Xiuyun, Han Dasao and others coming together.

They came to visit the children, including relatives and good friends, and quite a lot of them came.

Xiuyun sewed two red bags, filled them with the rooster's clavicle, peach pits, and millet mixed with incense ash, and let the two children wear them to calm their spirits and calm their fears. Han Yongfang sent Qingyun to deliver a string of Five Emperors' coins, which were said to ward off evil spirits and calm the children. There were also old ladies in the village who had been talking nonsense and came to the door on their own initiative to touch the children's heads and calm their fears.

Nowadays, we are trying to break feudal superstitions and forbid people from doing anything wrong, so people are not allowed to say things like offending Taisui or having an accident. However, the habits left by the members from their older generations cannot be changed in a short time, and they still do things the same way when encountering problems.

Lin Lan accepted everyone's kindness. As long as it was harmless, whether it was scientific or superstitious, as long as it could bring some psychological comfort, it was good.

She thanked everyone one by one, and was still surprised that Zhao Guilian and the others didn't come to cause trouble.

Dong Huaihua saw that there were too many people and hurriedly stopped them, "Okay, it's okay, everyone go home and cook, the children need to rest." She was afraid that so many members would come to visit and disturb Lin Lan's rest, so she quickly stepped forward to stop them, "It's okay as long as you are thoughtful. Director Han and Lin Lan remember everyone's kindness."

When the others heard this, they stopped disturbing them and went home to cook dinner.

Erwang and Maisui cooked a pot of millet porridge and heated up the rolled cakes for convenient nutrition.

Lin Lan kept watching the two children, worried that they would catch a cold or have a fever. Sanwang was in better health, but Xiaowang was young after all, and his resistance was much weaker.

Han Qingsong told her not to worry.

Seeing him standing so tall and calm, Lin Lan felt relieved. She remembered what the old people said about Han Qingsong being a soldier, who was full of righteousness and immune to evil, and who could also guard the house and keep the children safe.

She had studied Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory and materialism for more than 20 years, but her deep love for her child could not overcome it, and she bowed to Han Qingsong as if possessed by a ghost.

Han Qingsong: "...What are you doing?"

Lin Lan coughed and said, "I pray to the God of Land, the God of Stove, and the Goddess of the Kang, to bless my child to be healthy."

Han Qingsong: "..." The Stove King is in the stove, the Land Lord is on the ground, and the Kang Lady is on the Kang, and you are shaking towards me?

He reached out and rubbed her hair twice, then turned around and touched the two children without waiting for Lin Lan to protest. Sanwang was fine, but Xiaowang had a little fever.

He picked up Xiaowang and went to the west room.

Lin Lan: "Do you have a fever?"

Han Qingsong: “No.”

Lin Lan knew that he had a fever and became anxious.

Han Qingsong: "It's okay."

Erwang and Mai Sui also took Lin Lan's barefoot doctor's manual and flipped through it to see if there were any tips for reducing fever. It said that in addition to taking medicine, you can also reduce the temperature physically, such as rubbing the body with warm water, etc.

When the meal was ready, Da Wang called San Wang to eat.

Sanwang opened his eyes with a dazed expression. He was very happy when he saw Dawang. Just as he was about to speak, he remembered what happened before. He thought he had not forgotten everything after a good sleep. His little face drooped again and he almost didn't dare to look at Dawang.

Da Wang glanced at him and said nothing, "Eat."

Sanwang obediently got up, put on his clothes, went downstairs to put on his shoes, then stood obediently in front of the table, lowered his head and waited to be scolded.

But no one came to blame him. Mai Sui even told Erwang and his father about his bravery in saving his younger brother, and praised Sanwang for being sensible and acting like an older brother.

Han Qingsong and Erwang did not expose him and said nothing.

Sanwang lowered his head even more. He originally wanted to explain things to his mother, but he was too afraid to speak up at the time. Now that everyone in his family thought so, he felt even more ashamed.

Xiao Wang was also woken up by Lin Lan to have dinner. When he came down and saw San Wang standing there, he immediately ran over and took his hand, saying happily, "Little San Brother, you are not afraid anymore, are you?"

Sanwang glanced at him, his nose felt sore and he felt even more guilty.

Xiao Wang said to Lin Lan, "Mom, Xiao San Ge saved me, so he won't be beaten."

Lin Lan glanced at him, touched his head, and said nothing.

This is before she even starts to learn kung fu. She will definitely be beaten. If she makes a serious mistake, she will be beaten. This is Han Qingsong's rule. She naturally does not question his authority as a father.

Xiaowang was a little worried. He didn't betray his third brother, so his parents probably didn't know about it.

He then said to Han Qingsong, "Dad, I won't hit you."

Han Qingsong asked him to sit down and eat, and then drink ginger soup after the meal.

Xiaowang looked here and there, feeling a little worried, and took Sanwang's hand to go eat.

Sanwang didn't dare to move.

Lin Lan looked at Han Qingsong, and Han Qingsong said, "Let's eat."

Sanwang then sat down at his seat. When he ate, he only ate his own porridge and nothing else. His movements were slow and mechanical.

Seeing him like this, Lin Lan couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She handed him a piece of egg roll and asked him to eat some vegetables.

Sanwang lowered his head and ate in silence, with no taste for food. He wanted to confess his mistake, but everyone was eating and he didn't know how to start, so he could only wait until after dinner.

Now all the little deer that Dawang had been holding in his heart entered his stomach, tormenting him, making him feel uneasy and unable to eat. He could not finish more than half a bowl of porridge.

Xiao Wang had a slight fever, but he didn't understand why. So he wondered during dinner, "Mom, why am I both cold and hot?"

He raised his two little hands, "It's cold here, and it's hot here."

Lin Lan felt his forehead and found the temperature was not too high, so she let him drink the porridge and lie down on the kang.

Xiaowang looked at Sanwang and wondered if his third brother would be beaten.

Lin Lan sighed and carried him to the kang in the west room. She covered Xiao Wang with a quilt, held him in her arms and told him a story, telling him not to fall asleep yet but to digest the food first.

Seeing Xiaowang like this, Han Qingsong had no intention of teaching Sanwang a lesson. After dinner, he went to find some coal, burned it in the stove until it was red, then put it in a clay basin and brought it to the west door to make the temperature in the room higher.

Da Wang was never a talkative person, and now he is even more silent.

Erwang and Mai Sui discussed it and said, "Let's boil a pot of ginger soup and then a pot of hot water, and give Xiaowang a warm bath to drive away the cold and reduce the temperature." First, boil a small pot of thick ginger soup and add some brown sugar to give it to Sanwang and Xiaowang from time to time.

Lin Lan thought Xiaowang had a little fever, and Han Qingsong also had a high temperature, but she thought it was okay.

Da Wang went to the barefoot doctor to get a thermometer and took Xiao Wang's temperature. It was 38.5 degrees, and he had indeed started to have a fever. After all, he was young and weak, and it was easy for him to have a fever if he caught a cold. Moreover, children are prone to high fevers, so he should not be taken lightly.

All the preparations made by Erwang and Mai Sui came in handy. Xiaowang took a warm bath and drank ginger soup. His temperature began to go down, but it came back in the middle of the night. Lin Lan gave him one-third of a tablet of Analgin prescribed by the barefoot doctor. The fever started to go down in half an hour, but came back an hour later.

Xiao Wanghun's body was burning with pain, and he wrinkled his little face and moaned unconsciously.

Lin Lan held him in her arms, hoping to cool him down with her own body temperature. Seeing the child in so much pain, she wished she would get sick for him.

The children were also awake, and all stayed by the side, ready to take instructions at any time.

At this moment, Sanwang had no chance to admit his mistake. He looked at Xiaowang who was dizzy with fever, tears streaming down his face, wishing he had a fever for Xiaowang. Everyone was busy and no one talked to him. He curled himself into a ball and wished he could hide in the crack of the wall.

Lin Lan was extremely anxious and wanted Han Qingsong to take her and the child to the county overnight.

Han Qingsong was much calmer. "It will be daybreak when we get to the county. If the fire starts on the way, there is nothing we can do. We should wait till daybreak."

Lin Lan was anxious and blurted out, "As a father, why aren't you anxious?"

Han Qingsong was stunned.

Lin Lan regretted what she said, and quickly held Han Qingsong's hand tightly, choking and saying, "Third brother, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost my temper."

Han Qingsong patted her and said, "It's okay." How could he be angry? He would never be angry with her.

Erwang and Mai Sui looked at each other and saw worry in each other's eyes. Mom never lost her temper easily and was very kind to the family, but she was angry with Dad for Xiaowang. So Xiaowang really couldn't get into trouble, otherwise, it was estimated that there would be problems with the relationship between Dad and Mom, and their family would also be in trouble.

At this moment, Erwang remembered, "Mom, Sister Xiuyun's aunt knows how to cupping and scraping, and she also knows how to slap wine and bleed. Do you want to let her try it on Xiaowang?"

Lin Lan said hurriedly: "I'll go and invite her."

Da Wang went out first, and soon he invited Xiu Yunniang over.

She was not asleep either. She woke up immediately when she heard someone knocking at the door, got dressed and followed Dawang over. They were all acquaintances, so there was no need to exchange pleasantries. She asked him to quickly get some liquor, pour it into a bowl and light it. Immediately, a faint blue flame rose up.

The room was warm, so she let Xiaowang take off all his clothes and covered him with a sheet. Then she dipped her hands in the burning liquor and rubbed them quickly on the child, first rubbing his palms, soles of feet, armpits, thighs, then his back, abdomen, and finally his chest.

I kept rubbing half a bowl of wine, and the temperature stabilized and didn't go up again. After observing for an hour or so, Xiaowang started sweating and the temperature began to drop. There was no recurrence in the second half of the night.

Xiuyun's mother also instructed, "The child has a fever, a headache, and is very weak. Let him have a good rest and drink some millet porridge, rotten noodle soup, etc."

Lin Lan thanked her and said as she sent her out, "Sister-in-law, I think you would be more suitable to be a barefoot doctor."

Xiuyun's mother: "Stop making fun of me, what can I do as an illiterate? I was sent for training at first, but I failed because I couldn't read and learn. I can only do cupping, scraping, and massage for people. I don't understand acupuncture or prescribing medicine." She told Lin Lan not to worry, that the child was blessed and that everything would be fine once the fever went away.

Lin Lan thought that she should learn when she had time. When there was no specific medicine, she could still use some folk remedies.

After watching her leave, Lin Lan closed the door and went home.

By this time, Xiaowang's fever had subsided and he was sleeping soundly.

Lin Lan felt relieved, and finally she could take care of the children. They were so tired after working all night. She said quickly, "Go to bed, why are you guarding here? It's useless for you to worry."

Erwang and Maisui were very happy to see that Xiaowang's fever had really subsided, so they went back to the east room so as not to disturb their parents' rest.

Da Wang also carried San Wang back. San Wang clung to the door frame and refused to leave, staring intently at Xiao Wang who was lying on the kang.

Lin Lan saw that Sanwang hadn't said a word that night, and his mood was as depressed as an eggplant hit by frost. She had been busy with Xiaowang and hadn't paid attention to him before. Now that she saw him, she wanted to comfort him. After all, he was only an 8-year-old child, and it would not be good to leave a shadow on him accidentally.

She walked over, took Sanwang's hand and sat down in the main room, rubbed his head, "It's okay, Xiaowang, it's okay, don't be afraid." She saw that Sanwang looked guilty and self-blaming, so she told him not to be afraid and to sleep well.

Sanwang lowered his head slightly, not daring to look at her, nor wanting to leave.

Lin Lan thought that he might be worried about Xiao Wang being afraid of being beaten, so she smiled and said, "Go to bed quickly. Your brother is fine now, but you will be punished for making mistakes, so you don't have to try to escape."

He also reminded Dawang that if Sanwang had a nightmare or something, he should pat him.

Da Wang nodded and took San Wang away.

After the children left, Lin Lan realized that she was exhausted and had to lean against the door frame to rest. She knew that she was overthinking and had scared herself, which indirectly made the children nervous. It was like searching Baidu for a disease and finding a terminal disease. It was scary.

Han Qingsong looked at her, got down and carried her to the kang. Lin Lan leaned in his arms, "I'm scared to death every day." From Sanwang and Xiaowang falling into the water, to Dawang going to settle the score, to Xiaowang having a fever, she felt overwhelmed. She took a deep breath and patted Han Qingsong's chest, "Let's sleep for a while, we are too tired."

Han Qingsong didn't move, but just stared at her.

Lin Lan then realized that something was wrong with him, and when she met his eyes, she actually saw a hint of grievance.

Was he condemning her with his eyes?

Lin Lan pursed her lips, hooked her arm around his neck and gave him a kiss, saying softly, "Third brother, I'm sorry, I won't do it again." She felt relieved that Xiaowang was fine, and the shadow and shackles on her body were suddenly removed. She was in the mood to tease him.

Han Qingsong held her and deepened the kiss. After a while, he let her go. He touched the child to make sure he was safe, then he turned around and hugged her to sleep.

…

The busy spring season does not wait for anyone, and it is the time when labor is needed. The next morning, we had lunch at 6 o'clock, and the whistle blew at 6:30 to go to work. Han Qingsong still took Erwang to the distant southeast slope, while Dawang followed other members to work near the village, and Mai Sui stayed at home to help Lin Lan take care of her younger brothers.

As for Sanwang, let him reflect for a day and educate him at night.

After Xiaowang woke up, he was full of energy and nothing happened. He ate a big bowl of millet porridge and pancakes in one breath.

Mai Sui touched his belly and said with a smile, "Finally he's better. He scared us so much."

Xiaowang glanced at Sanwang, then smiled at his mother and sister, "Mom, I was wrong. I won't go to the river again."

Lin Lan said happily: "Xiao Wang is so well behaved."

She glanced at Sanwang and said, "Brother is fine now. You don't have to worry."

Sanwang hummed in a depressed tone, and then he felt that the food tasted a bit better.

Xiao Wang held his hand and said, "Brother Xiao San, I'm fine, don't worry."

Sanwang looked at him and his eyes turned red again. It was good that his younger brother didn't have to be sent away.

Xiaowang quickly wiped his tears and winked at him, indicating that we should not tell them our secret.

Sanwang lowered his head quickly, tears dripping into the bowl.

Lin Lan wanted to discuss this with him to see if he had realized his mistakes after a night of reflection. After all, he was still young and needed guidance to realize some problems.

As a result, she had just started talking and had not yet gotten to the point when Dong Huaihua came to see her. Someone from the county's publicity department came to inspect and hold a meeting, and called Lin Lan to attend the meeting.

Lin Lan reminded Mai Sui and the two children to stay at home and not go out.

Mai Sui took the two younger brothers with him, teaching them to read and draw. Lin Lanxuan brought back some low-quality gouache paints and some paper that could be used for drawing.

Xiaowang was having a lot of fun playing with Sanwang.

Gaoliang, Yanyan and Caihua were playing when they came over.

Mai Sui entertained them, "Why didn't you go to work?"

"We are going to cut grass to pay our work points, and we wanted to ask you to come with us," said Gao Liang.

Mai Sui shook his head: "I won't go. I have to look after them."

Yanyan said embarrassedly, "Mai Sui, I'm so sorry." Dawei was her uncle. She felt very sorry for bullying Sanwang, so she wanted to come over and say something.

Mai Sui was not angry and could tell the difference, "You are not him, you don't have to say sorry when he makes a mistake." Not to mention that they are uncles and cousins, even if brothers make mistakes, sisters have no obligation to take the blame.

Seeing Mai Sui being so generous, Yan Yan said happily, "Thank you for not being angry. We can play together again in the future."

Mai Sui smiled and said, "Of course."

Caihua watched Sanwang and Xiaowang drawing. Xiaowang ignored her when he was absorbed in something. She also noticed that Sanwang was not as naughty and cheerful as before. The kid who used to be noisy all day long now sat there without saying a word. It was very uncomfortable and she felt like he had become a different person.

She asked, "Sanwang, Xiaowang is fine, why are you unhappy?"

Sanwang said nothing.

Yanyan said, "He must be scared. My second uncle's younger brother fell into a well and nearly drowned. He still has nightmares every day for half a year after he came back."

Gao Liang said to the girl in a voice that Sanwang thought he couldn't hear: "You made such a big mistake. Not only the adopted children, but also the biological children must be driven out. Sanwang was adopted, and I, the Third Lady, must send him back."

Mai Sui didn't hear clearly, so he asked, "What did you say?"

Gao Liang had an expression that said, "You know what I mean."

Caihua looked at Mai Sui and said with a smile, "My brother was also bought with a big cake. If he didn't behave, my parents would have chased him out to beg for food like the people in the capital."

Yanyan couldn't bear it, "Don't say it, Teacher Lin won't do that."

Mai Sui understood what was going on and her face turned pale with anger. She pushed Gao Liang and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Do you want a beating?" She was the same age as Gao Liang, but Lin Lan had raised her well and she was well-nourished, so she was a block taller than Gao Liang. This push made Gao Liang stagger.

Gao Liang said angrily: "Why do you turn against me so easily? I was not wrong, he was picked up in the first place! Everyone said so, grandma said so too!"

Mai Sui stretched out his hand and pinched her mouth, "Are you a bitch? Why are you so bitchy? Get out of here and don't come to my house anymore! I'll pinch you every time I see you!"

Gao Liang was hit by her several times and was so scared that he ran away to hide.

Seeing that Mai Sui was angry, Caihua said something quickly and pulled Yanyan away quickly.

Gao Liang also ran quickly and shouted when she reached the door: "I was right in the beginning. Didn't the capital get sent back later?" She was afraid that Mai Sui would chase her and beat her, so she ran quickly.

Later, there was a child named Shoudu'er, who was adopted by his relatives. Because they had their own son, they sent Shoudu'er back home when he was five or six years old. As a result, after the child returned, his parents did not love him, and his brothers and sisters thought he was superfluous, so he lived a very miserable life.

Many adults in Shanzui Village used him as an example, saying that he was picked up and would be sent back if he didn't obey, and used this to scare their own children. The children took it seriously after hearing it many times, and used it as an example to scare other children.

After chasing them away, Mai Sui was still a little unsatisfied, "They really deserve a beating! Sanwang, don't listen to their nonsense, they are so mean. When mother comes back, go find Second Aunt and give her a good beating!"

After hearing her words, Sanwang became even more silent, and always felt that his sister was lying to him.

Mai Sui chased them away and stayed with Xiao Wang to draw at the dining table.

Sanwang returned to the east room and packed up his things. He left a whistle frog and a broken car to Xiaowang, a comic book "Wild Fire Spring Breeze Fighting the Ancient City" to Erwang, and put the shuttlecock with wheat ears that he had secretly hidden on her kang cabinet. He also gave the handkerchief that their mother gave to each of them, which he had been reluctant to use, to his eldest brother.

He had nothing to leave for his parents, so he just wrote a few words.

He stood in the east room and looked around the house where he lived, then went to the west room to look at his parents' clothes and bedding, touched and kissed them, then wiped his tears, and walked out while Mai Sui went to the toilet.

When he reached the gate, he looked back at his home and walked away reluctantly, looking back every few steps.

…

When Mai Sui came back and didn't see Sanwang, he asked Xiaowang.

Xiaowang had been drawing. The picture was of their family of seven. In the picture, Sanwang was grinning. She didn't even notice that the three girls had come.

Mai Sui went outside to look, but there was no place to play on the swing, neither inside nor outside.

She became anxious and went to the brigade to call Lin Lan.

Lin Lan was in a meeting when she heard that Sanwang was missing. She quickly asked Dong Huaihua and others to help look for him and ask anyone in the village who had seen Sanwang where he had gone.

We searched for a while but couldn't find it. At that time, all the adults in the village had gone to work and there was almost no one around. There were a few children, but we didn't see them either.

Lin Lan was extremely anxious. At this moment, Xiao Wang ran out holding a piece of paper. "A letter from Xiao San brother!"

Lin Lan quickly took it and saw that there were several mistakes in the hyphens and pinyin on it: Mother, I love you. Sanwang is gone and will never cause trouble for you again.

Lin Lan's heart suddenly ached, as if something was pulling at it.

Dong Huaihua didn't have time to do anything else and mobilized everyone in the village to look for Sanwang.

When Xiao Wang heard that his third brother was missing, he cried sadly, "Mom, mom, little third brother, go find...find his mother."

Lin Lan was stunned. "What biological mother? Am I not his mother? How can he have a biological mother?"

What is this kid thinking about all day long? I really want to pry open his head and take a look.

Dong Huaihua and the others were all at a loss whether to laugh or cry when they heard this.

Adults are trying to comfort children like this, but no one takes it so seriously. Go find him quickly, a child like him can't get far."

Lin Lan asked Mai Sui to look after Xiao Wang while she went to look for Da Wang, whose workplace was closer to the village.

Hearing her say Sanwang is missing, Dawang frowned and said, "Don't worry, I'll go find him."

…

At this time, Sanwang was walking on the road leading to Linjiatun.

He was already scared and panicked, and felt guilty. He thought that he had almost drowned Xiaowang, and his parents must hate him. After listening to what Gao Liang and the others said, he became more and more certain that his parents would send him away. Rather than let his parents hate him, he might as well... go on his own.

But where to go? I don’t even know what my parents look like.

Zhuzi said that he was fished out of the river, and that his parents threw him into the river because they didn't want him anymore, and that he was sent back to the capital because he was disobedient. And... they all said that if they were sent back, it would be the same as the capital, and they would be doomed.

So where should he go? If he goes back to his mother's home, it will be just as miserable as in the capital.

Go to his grandmother's house? Third Aunt always said that she loved him and Xiaowang. Otherwise, go to Third Aunt's house? He could earn work points by cutting grass. Would Third Aunt dislike it?

He decided to go to his third aunt's house to ask.

However, he had never been to his third aunt's house from here, but had been there once from his grandmother's village, so he had to take a detour.

He walked towards Linjiatun. On the way, someone asked him where he was going, but he kept walking without saying anything. He walked and walked until he felt that he had walked for a long time. He was tired and hungry, so he had to sit down and rest. After sitting down, he wanted to lie down, so he lay on the side of the road, looking at the blue sky and white clouds, and the birds flying in the sky.

He misses home.

He closed his eyes, and suddenly, the sunlight above his head was blocked by something.

Sanwang opened his eyes and looked at the face above him in disbelief, "Big, Big Brother..."

Da Wang looked at him, and he couldn't tell whether he felt pity or something else, and he curled his lips and said, "Let's go home and get beaten."

Sanwang got up obediently, and followed his elder brother home with his head hung.

Mother asked my eldest brother to come and look for him, so does that mean she won’t send him away?

He thought he had been walking for a long time, but in fact he had not walked for even two miles.

When Da Wang brought San Wang home, Lin Lan was holding Han Qingsong's hand, feeling guilty and crying, "Third brother, was it because I wasn't good enough to him that the child left?"

Seeing Da Wang carrying San Wang back, Han Qingsong's face darkened. He pulled out a reed stick and said coldly, "Take off your pants!"

…

Seeing that Xiao San Ge was about to be beaten, Xiao Wang was so scared that he quickly hugged Lin Lan's legs and cried, "Mom, don't send me away. Be obedient and never go into the water again."

Lin Lan felt very distressed and quickly squatted down to wipe his tears, "Silly child, you are your parents' children, where should you send them?"

Sanwang's eyes lit up, and he immediately looked over as if alive. Lin Lan glanced at him and said, "Why don't you take off your pants and lie down!"

If I don't beat you up, you won't remember anything. You'll go into the water and run away from home. You've grown up.

She had felt sorry for Sanwang suffering from cramps in the water, and felt sorry for him because he felt guilty about his brother and didn't like to talk or laugh. She was worried that he would be traumatized, like post-traumatic stress disorder or something like that. But before she could come to her senses, he ran away from home again!

Now that I have found him, I know that this kid must be beaten. If he is not beaten, he will run away from home out of habit! He must be beaten hard until he dares not run away from home again!

When Sanwang saw that his parents would not send him away, his heart, which had originally been silent, began to beat loudly. However, under Han Qingsong's sullen gaze, he suppressed his emotions, took off his pants obediently, and lay on the wall.

Seeing that he was so well behaved and didn't talk nonsense or avoid it, Lin Lan felt a little soft-hearted, but still held back.

Sanwang lay on the wall, silently waiting for the whipping, but it didn't come for a long time. He stole a glance and found that his mother had already dragged his father into the house, probably to discuss how many times to whip him.

Lin Lan closed the door and whispered, "Do you think the child would be... scared of falling into the water? He has a shadow." She wondered if Sanwang ran away from home because he was scared of his brother falling into the water. What if he got beaten like this and the psychological shadow worsened?

Han Qingsong: "Shadow?"

Lin Lan: "Should I educate him first?"

Han Qingsong: "If you make a mistake, you will be punished. He knows that." Since he knows, he should be punished first and then talk about other things. He should be beaten for going into the water without permission, and now he has run away from home, so he should not be let off lightly.

Lin Lan sighed, squeezed his hand, and thought, "You should at least be gentle and not use too much force, remember that he is your own son."

Han Qingsong walked out and looked at Sanwang who was standing there leaning against the wall. "Do you know you are wrong?"

Sanwang bit his lip and nodded, not crying now. Xiaowang was fine, his parents didn't chase him away, it was just a beating, there was nothing to cry about! His elder brother didn't cry when he was beaten, so he didn't cry either!

Han Qingsong is not good at preaching. The rules taught to him in the army are that if you make a mistake, you will be punished according to military regulations. There are rules for beatings and confinement. If you make a mistake, you will be punished first, and then there will naturally be a counselor who is responsible for preaching. Lin Lan is the counselor in their family.

Han Qingsong said, "You went into the water without considering the consequences, ten lashes. You ran away from home, ten lashes. Add the five lashes I owe you, a total of 25 lashes. You saved my brother and made up for it, ten lashes are exempted. There are 15 left."

Erwang, Maisui and Xiaowang were all lined up at the door, looking in, extremely nervous.

Xiao Wang started to cry, "Little Third Brother..."

Da Wang: "Whoever makes a mistake will be beaten." That means you will be beaten if you make a mistake, so don't beg for mercy. It's useless. Da Wang thinks that a beating will teach people a lesson, and he is a living example.

Han Qingsong held the reed branch and glanced at Sanwang. Although he was small, he was responsible and his body did not tremble.

Erwang quickly found a corn cob for Sanwang to bite. Alas, it had not been long before he handed the corn cob to his eldest brother when the third brother took it. I wonder who will be lucky enough to try this little whip next time.

But don't be yourself.

"Pa pa pa..." The whip hit the flesh, making a crisp and loud sound.

Sanwang wanted to get it over with at first, but after getting it done he realized how painful it was!!!

It really, really, really hurts!

Spare my life—I will never dare to do it again!