Liu Dongdong immediately understood and said indignantly, "How could she do that? That's just too malicious."
"I really didn’t know how to prove my alibi at the time, so I thought of you. You don’t mind, do you?"
"Of course not! Si Nian, it’s my honor that you thought of me. Now that you’ve helped me, you’re my savior. I’ll repay you."
Seeing Liu Dongdong’s heartfelt sincerity, Lin Sisi was quite satisfied and took her home.
The Fu Family.
Fu Yang had just returned home when he spotted a familiar thermal lunchbox on the table.
It was the same one Si Nian used to bring him soup in.
He had never paid it any mind before, but now, he couldn’t help but pause and stare.
Mrs. Zheng noticed her son’s gaze and immediately said, "Son, you’re back! Come, Sisi brought you some soup. Try it."
The two had been giving each other the cold shoulder for quite a while. Now that the girl had taken the initiative to make amends, her son shouldn’t be so indifferent.
Fu Yang’s lingering gaze instantly turned cold.
Lin Sisi?
She sent soup—using the thermal lunchbox Si Nian had bought for him?
The more he thought about it, the clearer the gap between the two became. If it were Si Nian, she would have come the very next day.
Lin Sisi had taken days, acting reluctant the entire time.
Even the lunchbox was someone else’s.
It spoke volumes about her attitude toward him.
She claimed to like him, but her thoughtfulness fell far short.
Only now did Fu Yang realize how vividly he remembered the things he had once dismissed without a second glance.
So vividly, it felt like yesterday.
With a cold expression, he turned and headed upstairs without another word.
Mrs. Zheng sighed helplessly at her son’s attitude.
He had been raised with too much pride. At this rate, when would this marriage ever happen?
Fu Qianqian returned from work and, spotting the soup on the table, immediately dashed over excitedly, calling out, "Mom! Mom! Did Si Nian come by?"
Mrs. Zheng stepped out of the kitchen to see her daughter clutching the lunchbox eagerly.
Surprised by her reaction, she shook her head. "No, it was Sisi who brought it. Said it was for your brother."
Fu Qianqian’s grin vanished instantly, and she tossed the lunchbox back onto the table with disdain.
Mrs. Zheng: "..." If she remembered correctly, her son had reacted the same way.
Back when Si Nian used to bring soup, both her son and daughter would act indifferent, but Fu Qianqian would still finish it.
Now, the moment she heard it was from Lin Sisi, she didn’t even glance at it before walking away.
She couldn’t help but wonder—Lin Sisi was such a well-behaved girl.
Why did her children dislike her so much?
Happy Village.
The Zhou Family.
Si Nian was helping Zhou Yuehan with his homework.
Now, Zhou Yuehan actually enjoyed doing assignments. He would finish them and eagerly hand them to Si Nian for checking, no longer afraid of making mistakes.
Because even if she scolded him, it was always gentle.
Nearby, Zhou Yuedong, who was also doing homework, watched his younger brother leaning against Si Nian’s arm. He glanced down at his own unfinished work and fell silent for a long moment.
His brother, who used to take an entire day to finish a little homework, was now completing it in no time.
When it was him checking, Zhou Yuehan would run off the moment he was done. But with their stepmother, he sat obediently beside her, more focused than he ever was in class.
Zhou Yuedong felt like he was starting to forget what his brother used to be like.
Outside, the sun blazed, but one advantage of the countryside was that no matter how scorching it got, the ground floor always stayed cool and comfortable.
Zhou Yuedong had cleaned the house that morning, leaving it spotless—not a speck of dust on the tables.
Now, with the radio playing, Zhou Yuedong sat upright doing his homework, while Zhou Yuehan and Yaoyao had claimed Si Nian’s sides, one playing with his toes and the other listening attentively.
The scene was nothing short of warm and harmonious.
Zhou Yuedong didn’t quite understand what this feeling was—until years later, when his own child leaned against him, listening as he explained a problem. Only then did he realize how familiar it all felt...
Bang bang bang!
The iron gate outside rattled with knocking.
Zhou Yuedong snapped out of his thoughts and went to answer the door.
Standing there were the Lin brothers, Lin Feng and Lin Yu.
They carried baskets on their backs, though the contents were unclear.
Sweat dripped from their foreheads as they stood nervously at the doorstep.
He quickly ushered them inside.
It was their first time visiting the Zhou Family, and the two boys were visibly tense.
Following Zhou Yuedong, they gaped in awe at their future brother-in-law’s home.
They had heard that the Zhou Family owned a pig farm and were well-off, but they’d never seen it for themselves.
Their mother had sent them to deliver some things to their sister.
They thought the exterior was impressive enough, but when they stepped inside and saw the living room—larger than their entire house—they froze in disbelief.
Their family didn’t own a TV, just a broken radio.
The only black-and-white television in their village belonged to the village chief, and everyone would crowd around it whenever they could.
But their sister’s home wasn’t just spacious—it had a huge TV, a brand-new sofa, and polished cement floors so clean they hesitated to step further.
In their dusty, worn-out clothes, they suddenly felt out of place.
Si Nian was surprised to see her brothers. "Feng, Yu, what brings you here?"
"Mom asked us to bring you some things," the older Lin Feng said.
Lin Yu, usually mischievous at home, now stood awkwardly behind his brother.
Si Nian approached and saw their baskets filled with sunflower seeds, red paper cutouts, rice, flour, eggs...
It dawned on her—she was getting married in a week.
And she hadn’t prepared a thing.
Well, it was her first wedding, and with no elders around, she truly had no idea what to do.
Lin's mother must have realized that and sent over everything needed for hosting guests.
She gestured for the sweaty boys to sit and went to the kitchen to pour them bowls of chilled mung bean soup.
When she returned, they were still standing stiffly. Puzzled, she asked, "Feng, Yu, why aren’t you sitting?"
The brothers exchanged glances, their faces flushing. "W-we’re dirty," they stammered. "We’ll just tell you and head back."
Si Nian frowned. "Dirty? Don’t be silly with your own sister. Sit down, drink some soup to cool off, and I’ll make you something to eat."
She set the bowls on the table and beckoned them over.
After a hesitant look at each other, they finally approached.
Seeing how uneasy they were, Si Nian didn’t press further and headed back to the kitchen.
Lin Feng stared at the frosty mung bean soup, swallowing hard.
Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he took a cautious sip.
Sweet, cool, and refreshing.
His eyes lit up, and he gulped it down eagerly.
So good!
Just days ago, he had tasted the mung bean cake his brother brought home—apparently made by their sister herself.
Now drinking the ice-cold mung bean soup again felt incredibly refreshing.
This older sister is quite impressive.
At this moment, noisy commotion erupted outside, drawing everyone's attention.
The little ones were immediately captivated and hurriedly ran out to see.
A group of tall, burly men came into view, carrying a plump white pig on their shoulders as they marched toward the Zhou Family.
Villagers stopped in their tracks to watch as they passed by.
Leading the group was Zhou Yueshen.
He held a cleaver in his hand, his sharp, cold gaze intimidating.
Si Nian, hearing the commotion, stepped outside and was stunned by the scene.
Yu Dong approached with a grin and said, "Sis-in-law, we're having a slaughter feast tonight!"
Si Nian blinked in surprise. "What’s going on?"
Normally, the pigs were butchered at the farm before being delivered.
"Sis-in-law, since you and Boss are getting married, he decided to slaughter a pig and invite everyone to eat. It’s also a way to let them know they should come help when the time comes."
Word had already spread along the way—Zhou Yueshen was getting married and had brought home a freshly slaughtered pig.
Everyone was eager to taste Si Nian’s cooking, so they decided to prepare it right there, knowing fresh pork was the most delicious.
Si Nian looked up in a daze at the tall man standing not far away.
He wore a sleeveless shirt, his skin darkened by the sun, his hair short and prickly, his sharp features even more striking.
The hand gripping the cleaver had prominent knuckles, veins faintly visible beneath the skin.
