"Of course your grandma hid it secretly. Here, eat it quickly, it'll get cold soon."
Cheng Yue lied without batting an eye, since Zhao had a criminal record and it wasn't unfair to accuse her.
As he spoke, he placed one of the bowls in Chen Lin's hands. There wasn't even a table in the room, so he had to eat it himself.
"We didn't kill any chickens at home, did we?" Da Ni glanced again at the bowl of meat and the steamer basket for steamed buns. They were indeed things from home, so she didn't think much of it.
Her grandmother always did this, hiding the best food for her cousin.
"I...I won't eat, sisters, you eat." Chen Lin swallowed hard. He hadn't spoken for several years, and his words came out haltingly.
Although he was simple-minded, he knew he was the older brother, and an older brother should protect his younger sister and give her the best things.
"Big brother, you spoke!" Da Ni and Er Ni looked even more excited than if they had been given meat to eat.
Cheng Yue raised an eyebrow. Chen Lin's reaction was quick! And he even thought of his sisters when there was something delicious to eat.
It seems that not all of the original owner's memories were objective.
Cheng Yue patted Chen Lin's head and said gently, "Xiao Lin knows how to love his sister and is a good brother, but you also need to love yourself, okay?"
You are all your parents' children, you are all the same, so naturally you should share the good things together.
Chen Lin is twelve years old, and Da Ni and Er Ni are nine and seven years old respectively. In modern times, they are carefree ages, but in this era, they are already adults who have been forced to grow up.
Cheng Yue is temporarily unable to treat them as her own children, nor can she identify with them as her mother.
However, since one has taken over someone else's body, one must naturally fulfill corresponding responsibilities, and the necessary care and education are indispensable.
If you want your siblings to have a good relationship, you must treat them equally. Favoritism will only make the children resent each other.
"Yes, sister, older brother, and mother, let's all eat together!"
Let's eat together!
Da Ni and Er Ni smiled. Their eldest brother loved them, and they loved their eldest brother in return.
"Okay, let's eat together."
Chen Lin felt a lump in his throat. His sisters felt sorry for him, and his mother didn't seem to care about his stupidity anymore. Just now, when his aunt had bullied him, his mother had protected him.
Perhaps, Mother has truly changed for the better.
"So this is what chicken tastes like! It's so delicious!"
Erni, being the youngest, couldn't resist the fragrant food. She picked up a piece, put it in her mouth, her eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Seeing Erni like this, Da Ni and Chen Lin's mouths watered and they started eating voraciously.
"It's so delicious! This chicken smells amazing!"
"The meat is delicious, and the steamed buns are delicious too, soft and not rough on the throat!"
The three children ate to their hearts' content, taking bites of steamed buns and meat, their mouths stuffed full, like little hamsters.
Cheng Yue was also very happy; her stomach was finally at ease!
In no time, the two bowls of chicken were empty. Cheng Yue broke off a piece of steamed bun, pressed it against the bottom of the bowl, and it instantly became covered in broth. She took a bite and felt very satisfied.
The three children immediately followed suit, and in no time, there wasn't even any soup left in their bowls.
Cheng Yue didn't prepare much; it was just enough for them to be about 70-80% full.
Her body is like that of three children; she hasn't had a proper meal. If she suddenly eats something oily, she might get an upset stomach.
Erni licked her lips and exclaimed with lingering satisfaction, "Mom, the chicken is so delicious! I wish we could eat meat every day!"
Da Ni tapped Er Ni's forehead with her finger, "You little glutton, you're not satisfied with just one meal. How can Grandma possibly cook meat for you every day?"
The meat we were able to eat this time was all stolen by my mother. If my grandmother finds out, she'll probably scold them terribly.
Cheng Yue smiled and said, "After we separate our households, I'll feed Erni meat every day, okay?"
She was confident about dividing the family property, and she wasn't worried about having meat to eat.
"Dividing the family?" Da Ni, Er Ni, and Chen Lin's eyes lit up. Upon hearing the words "dividing the family," the three children automatically forgot about eating meat.
Mother is so powerful now, she can definitely make the family split up if she says so. As for Father, he should agree too.
After all, the grandmothers weren't good to their father either.
My parents farmed all the land at home. Even after the busy farming season, my grandmother would make my father find odd jobs and perform corvée labor.
My mother and the others took care of all the dirty and tiring work at home, while my grandmother and aunt never lifted a finger.
Even so, Grandma, Uncle, and Aunt didn't treat them well, and even their two cousins looked down on them.
Looking at the expressions on the three children's faces, Cheng Yue knew what they were thinking, so she nodded and said, "Once your father wakes up, we'll separate the family."
"Separate the family?"
A weak male voice rang out, startling Cheng Yue. She turned around and saw that Chen An had woken up.
How are we supposed to get along like this?!
She could pretend the man was dead while he was unconscious, but now that he was awake, she couldn't really treat him as her man!
"Dad, you're awake!" Da Ni, Er Ni, and Chen Lin immediately stepped forward and called out, feeling as if they had found their pillar of support, and tears streamed down their faces.
Their mother wasn't very good to them before; only their father truly loved them.
When their father had this accident, they felt like the sky had fallen, and they were afraid that there would be no one left to care about them.
Fortunately, Dad woke up.
Chen An was feeling somewhat drowsy, but upon hearing the children's voices, he instantly became alert.
He patted the three heads and said with a smile, "Yes, Dad is awake. It's alright, don't worry."
Da Ni wiped away her tears and, hearing that Chen An's voice was a little hoarse, hurriedly ran out to fetch a bowl of water.
Chen An drank some water, which relieved his thirst considerably. Remembering what had just happened, he asked, "A-Yue, you just said... we're splitting up the family?"
He had considered separating the family before, but Cheng Yue disagreed.
It is said that if Chen Gen and Chen Shu pass the imperial examinations, their second branch of the family will also have a chance to rise in status. Otherwise, relying solely on themselves, they can only toil in the fields for a living their whole lives.
Chen An had no hope for those two nephews, but he couldn't reason with Cheng Yue, so he never mentioned it again.
But why is Cheng Yue bringing up the matter of dividing the family property now?
He remembered that he had injured his leg and was in unbearable pain. His mother and the others called a doctor, who said it was very serious and would require a large sum of money for treatment, otherwise he would be left disabled.
But my mother has never liked me, so why would she give me money?
He couldn't accept becoming disabled, and his body went from hot to cold, and he fell into a deep sleep.
He knew nothing about what happened afterward.
Chen An tilted his head to look at his leg, which had clearly been treated by a doctor.
Mother certainly wouldn't care about him. If Cheng Yue found the doctor, where would she get the money?
Cheng Yue sensed Chen An's questioning gaze and then explained the whole story.
In short, everything was for the sake of treating his leg and protecting the three children.
She didn't want to maintain the original owner's weak and incompetent persona, nor could she, so it was best to speak frankly, since she had her butcher mother to back her up anyway.
"Father, what Mother said is true. Grandma won't give us any money, and she even said she would sell me and my sister. Mother is doing all this for us!"
Dani, always quick-witted, feared that her father might misunderstand her mother, so she quickly explained.
Erni nodded emphatically, her eyes reddening.
Chen Lin wanted to explain, but the more anxious he became, the less he could speak.
Chen An was pleased to see Cheng Yue and the three children so eager to defend themselves, and a smile crept onto his face.
"What are you laughing at?" Cheng Yue was dumbfounded. Had she lost her mind?
Chen An coughed lightly and looked at Cheng Yue earnestly, saying, "Ah Yue, thank you. Also, being a little more assertive is a good thing. Better than before."
Just like my mother-in-law, despite her fierce reputation, she protects her husband and children, which is great.
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