They ate a meal with their mouths full of oil, and the three little ones were burping with satisfaction.
"Mom, what was that dish called? It smelled so good!" Da Ni licked her lips, savoring the memory.
She had never eaten pork before and didn't know how to describe it, but she thought it was fragrant and soft, as if it could slide into her stomach without chewing.
"Let's call it braised pork," Cheng Yue said with a smile. Braised pork can win over so many modern people, so how could it not win over an ancient family who have never eaten meat before?
Erni repeated the words "braised pork" to herself, blinked her eyes, and asked with an admiring look, "Mom, did you read that in a book?"
They knew that their maternal grandfather was a scholar and that their mother could read. They were especially envious when they heard their two cousins reciting aloud, but their mother had never taught them.
Cheng Yue saw the longing in the eyes of the three little faces and felt a pang of sadness for no reason.
She said softly, "Yes, you can learn a lot from books. How about I teach you to read in the future?"
"Is it okay?" Da Ni and Er Ni asked timidly. In the past, when they asked their mother how to write their names, they only got a few scoldings from her.
Chen Lin pursed his lips and didn't say anything. His grandmother said he was an idiot, and that an idiot shouldn't bother studying. He should be lucky to be able to farm.
Cheng Yue took a deep breath and then said seriously, "Of course! I was wrong before. I was too soft-hearted and didn't protect you. You suffered a lot of grievances. I apologize to you."
"I promise you, I will treat you well from now on and will never let anyone hurt you again."
It's all the original owner's fault, and she still has to apologize on her behalf? What kind of situation is this!
However, she guessed she couldn't go back, so she could only stay here and live a good life. But the children had a shadow in their hearts, and some things would remain a thorn in their side if they didn't talk about them.
She didn't want her family to live like this, as if nothing had happened, in a daze.
"It's not your mother's fault, it's your father's fault." Chen An felt bad after hearing Cheng Yue's apology. In the end, it was all his fault. With his mother and sister-in-law like that, A-Yue must have been under a lot of pressure at home!
When Chen Lin, Da Ni, and Er Ni heard their parents say this, their noses tingled, tears welled up in their eyes, and something inside them quickly melted away.
"Father, Mother, it's not your fault, it's Grandma's fault! Grandma always bullied Mother!" Da Ni said with a heavy nasal tone.
It's because the grandmother was so wicked, and being an elder, that the mother couldn't protect them.
Chen Lin and Erni thought the same thing, and they both looked at Chen An. Those were their parents, and Dani was talking like that...
Chen An: "..." He also felt it was his mother's fault, but it wouldn't be good for him to say it out loud.
Cheng Yue glanced at Chen An, who looked completely unfazed. Well, if even her own son didn't say anything, then let the kids think that way.
It's his grandma's fault, she's really good!
"Ahem, your grandmother is an elder, so don't say things like that in public." This is ancient times, and if people find out that you're talking badly about your elders, it will ultimately affect you.
Cheng Yue wanted to do things her own way, but since she had become part of their family, she couldn't ignore the children.
If you don't like them, just secretly mess with them.
The three children looked at each other and immediately understood what Cheng Yue meant. They all smiled and nodded emphatically.
They can't say it outside, but they can say it at home. Their parents will definitely support them.
Cheng Yue and Chen An exchanged a smile, having successfully resolved the internal conflict—a cause for celebration!
When you're full and satisfied, all your psychological burdens are gone, and your energy and spirit will naturally be different.
Da Ni and Er Ni are washing dishes even more efficiently now, and Chen Lin is the same, with a smile never fading from his face.
This is what children should be like—happy and carefree.
Cheng Yue had nothing to do for the time being, so she planned to take the cloth to someone to make clothes for the whole family. Although it was springtime, it was still chilly in the mornings and evenings.
"Cheng Yue, my dear!"
Cheng Yue had just stood up when she heard someone calling her from outside the door. The voice was…
Turning my head, I saw that the person had a round, very friendly face and was carrying a basket on his back, already at the gate.
"Sister-in-law Xiangxiu, what brings you here!"
Zhao Xiangxiu was Liu Dazhuang's wife in the village, but they had only been married for five years when Liu Dazhuang fell down the mountain and died.
Liu's parents said she was a jinx to her husbands, so they separated her from her three children. It wasn't easy for a woman to raise children alone, and they were considered the poorest family in the village.
Once, Zhao Xiangxiu's second son fainted from hunger. The original owner secretly gave him two cornbread buns, which caused Zhao to scold him for several days.
Zhao Xiangxiu remembered it. She hated her mother-in-law the most and often helped Cheng Yue to ridicule Zhao Shi. However, Zhao Shi was an elder after all, so Zhao Xiangxiu did not dare to say anything too harsh.
Anyway, the two eventually became good friends through their interactions.
Zhao Xiangxiu put the basket on the ground and said with a smile, "I heard that you split up the family, and I guessed you didn't have anything to eat. Here are some pickled vegetables and ten catties of sweet potato flour. You can make do with these for now."
She only heard from the villagers today about Cheng Yue and the others dividing the family property. Thinking that Zhao Shi was biased and probably wouldn't share any food, she sent some things over.
But my family was poor and couldn't afford anything good, only sweet potato flour and pickled vegetables.
"Okay, thank you, Sister Xiangxiu. But we have food, so don't worry, my mother-in-law gave us a lot."
Since the other party meant well, Cheng Yue didn't refuse. She would just return the gift with something else later.
Zhao Xiangxiu found it hard to believe that Cheng Yue, that biased mother-in-law, would actually divide things among herself.
However, seeing that the family was all smiles and looked better than her, they certainly didn't seem to be starving, so she believed them.
"As long as there's food, things will be much better after the wheat harvest." Zhao Xiangxiu glanced at Chen An again and whispered, "Brother Chen An, will your leg ever heal?"
Cheng Yue smiled and nodded, and Zhao Xiangxiu also breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that she was alright, otherwise, even if Cheng Yue separated from her family, she would still have a heavy burden.
"Please accept this. I'll head back now. Let me know if you need any help!"
Zhao Xiangxiu put down her things, picked up her basket, and was about to leave when Cheng Yue quickly stopped her, saying, "Don't rush off, I need your help right now."
Cheng Yue pulled Zhao Xiangxiu into the bedroom. She was looking for someone to make clothes, and the person in front of her was just right.
"Good heavens, where did you get so much cloth?" Zhao Xiangxiu's eyes widened in disbelief. How much silver must that be!
Cheng Yue didn't hide anything and told them about the family division. She also wanted to do business in the future, and she couldn't just keep the money hidden from others.
After hearing this, Zhao Xiangxiu first covered her mouth in disbelief, then nodded firmly and said, "Cheng Yue, you've finally figured it out! That's how you deal with that family; you can't be too soft-hearted."
Cheng Yue wasn't like this when she first married into the family. It's just that in the last few years, her mind has become increasingly unclear. She's said it many times, but it's no use at all. I didn't expect that she would suddenly understand now, which is a happy thing.
Cheng Yue touched her nose, not embarrassed at all; she wasn't the one whose mind wasn't clear.
"Sister Xiangxiu, you know I can't make clothes, so I have to trouble you. This money is for your work, please don't refuse."
Cheng Yue took out three hundred coins and stuffed them into Zhao Xiangxiu's hand. There were ten sets of clothes and five pairs of shoes in total. She couldn't let people work for free. She had inquired about the labor fee when she bought the fabric.
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