Jiang Yaojie didn't understand what Jiang Ling was trying to do, but he didn't dare to disobey her. He glanced at Shen Congxin and then stormed out of the house.
Jiang Ling patted Jiang Suihe and comforted her, "Suihe, don't cry. I know you're upset. Wait for your brother to come back, and I'll have him apologize to you properly!"
Shen Congxin, standing to the side, was secretly surprised when she heard Jiang Ling say this. In her family, it seemed that such equality never happened. Although her father loved her very much, his attention was more focused on her older brother or her younger brother born to her stepmother.
Jiang Suihe didn't cry or make a fuss. She just nodded and said to Jiang Ling with a slightly aggrieved look, "Mother, I really... I really didn't take my cousin's hairpin! I really didn't!"
"Okay, Mom believes you. Our Suihe wouldn't do such a thing, right? When your brother comes back later, Mom will give him a good beating and make him falsely accuse you without even knowing the facts!" Jiang Ling comforted Jiang Suihe and even raised her fist.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Suihe took what she thought was a joke by Jiang Ling seriously. She shook her head, ignoring the tears on her face, and said to Jiang Ling, "Mother... never mind... never mind, don't hit brother. Actually... what is it?"
Seeing this scene between Jiang Ling and her daughter, Shen Congxin felt a bitter taste in her mouth, as if she had eaten a lemon. In her mind, she really envied the strong family affection in Jiang Ling's family.
In fact, Shen Congxin had experienced it before. Before her mother passed away, her mother would protect her and cherish her like a precious jewel. Those days were the happiest time for Shen Congxin.
But everything fell apart the moment her mother passed away. She still can't forget how her mother, who was smiling at her just yesterday and saying she wanted to see her get married, was now being carried motionless into a cold coffin.
Later, her father remarried. The woman treated her fairly well at first, but after she became pregnant and gave birth to her younger brother and sister, her attitude towards her, the legitimate daughter, changed.
When his father was alive, things were alright, but once his father passed away, Shen Congxin sometimes couldn't even get a full meal.
She genuinely envied this place from the bottom of her heart.
"Congxin...Congxin, what's wrong?" Jiang Ling waved her hand in front of Shen Congxin's eyes, pulling Shen Congxin back from her previous memories.
"Cousin, why are you crying? Are you feeling unwell?" Jiang Suihe asked, placing a handkerchief in Shen Congxin's arms.
"I...no...it's nothing..." Shen Congxin didn't want others to know her vulnerable side, so she sniffed and tried to appear nonchalant as she answered.
"Congxin, come in with me for a moment!" Jiang Ling didn't expose Shen Congxin; she just glanced at him and said calmly.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Shen Congxin lowered his head and followed Jiang Ling silently.
"Sit down!" Jiang Ling said calmly.
Shen Congxin was slightly stunned. She had thought a lot in the few seconds she was following Jiang Ling, even thinking about how Jiang Ling would scold her and hit her. But unexpectedly, Jiang Ling was not angry. Instead, she gently asked her to sit down.
Shen Congxin sat nervously next to Jiang Ling, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes and glancing at Jiang Ling every now and then.
"Congxin, can you tell me what this hairpin is all about?" Jiang Ling asked, placing the hairpin on the table.
"Auntie, I..." Shen Congxin was both ashamed and angry. Her knuckles, which were gripping the hem of her clothes, gradually turned white.
"Auntie, I'm sorry, it was my fault!" Shen Congxin said after hesitating for a long time.
"Hey, let's put aside our apologies for now. Tell me about this hairpin first," Jiang Ling said, waving her hand.
“I…” Shen Congxin hesitated for a moment, then told Jiang Ling everything that had happened between the two of them that day, without missing a single word.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling simply smiled faintly and asked Shen Congxin, "So, when you saw Jiang Yaojie give me the hairpin, you were unhappy, weren't you?"
"Auntie, I...I didn't! I...I'm not..." Shen Congxin stood up hurriedly after hearing this, and tried to explain to Jiang Ling in a flustered manner, but the more anxious she became, the less she knew what to say. In the end, she could only look at Jiang Ling with a red face and tears in her eyes.
"Look at you, you're crying again. If word gets out, people will think our family is bullying you!" Jiang Ling said, wiping away Shen Congxin's tears.
"Auntie, I...I didn't, I didn't..." Shen Congxin explained anxiously upon hearing Jiang Ling's words.
"Don't cry, Congxin. Your aunt is asking you, what do you think of our Yaojie?" Jiang Ling said immediately when she saw that the time was right.
“He…” Shen Congxin stopped crying, her face turning bright red in the next second.
She clutched her clothes, biting her lip, looking embarrassed. After a long while, she finally spoke, "Very...good."
Although the two words were spoken softly and lightly, they carried significant weight in Jiang Ling's ears. Jiang Ling nodded in satisfaction and continued, "From the heart, I know you're not a bad child. This is Yaojie's heartfelt wish. Don't give it away again, or he'll be sad!"
"I understand, Auntie! Then...can I stay here any longer? I...?" Shen Congxin asked eagerly.
"Of course you can! With your aunt around, no one will dare to bully you!" Jiang Ling said, ruffling Chen Congxin's hair.
These words struck a chord with Shen Congxin. She remembered that her mother had said the same thing to her before, but now everything had changed. She sighed sadly, and just then, Jiang Yaojie's voice came from outside the door.
"mother……"
Hearing this voice, Shen Congxin felt a little embarrassed again, and she stood there, somewhat at a loss.
"You should rest in the room for a bit!" Jiang Ling gently patted Shen Congxin's shoulder and said.
Shen Congxin nodded gratefully and sat back down in his chair, while Jiang Ling turned and walked out the door.
"How are the cotton and potatoes?" Jiang Ling asked.
“The growth is good, especially that row of potatoes, I can already see the flower buds!” Jiang Yaojie said, gesturing with his hands.
Jiang Ling nodded after hearing this. The potatoes were already showing flower buds, so they wouldn't be long before they bloomed. After flowering, they could be harvested in about forty or fifty days at most.
This doesn't affect her plan to launch mashed potatoes or potato pancakes as snacks in the winter at all.
"Suihe, come here!" Jiang Ling said to Jiang Suihe who was standing to the side.
Upon seeing Jiang Suihe, Jiang Yaojie immediately looked embarrassed. He scratched his head and stammered, "Little sister, I...I'm sorry, it's my fault, I shouldn't have wronged you!"
Seeing Jiang Yaojie's sincere apology, Jiang Suihe felt much less aggrieved. She blinked and said to Jiang Yaojie, "Okay, then I forgive you!"
Seeing the two of them reconcile, Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief, but then immediately turned cold and said to Jiang Yaojie, "Yaojie, I have something to talk to you about!"
Looking at Jiang Ling's cold face, Jiang Yaojie had a bad feeling and followed her to the second bedroom with his head down.
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