The aroma of food finally roused the yellow Tibetan mastiff, who opened its eyes, stood up, and fixed its gaze on Si Nian.
Si Nian placed the dog bowl on the ground and pushed it toward the mastiff, which immediately buried its head and began eating voraciously.
Si Nian let out a relieved sigh.
Just as she was about to step inside, a voice sounded at the gate: "It smells so good, Grandma! Yaoyao’s family is having meat today. I’m going to play with Yaoyao!"
Si Nian tilted her head and saw a middle-aged woman leading a snot-nosed little boy toward her.
The woman also glanced curiously in their direction—Aunt Liu wasn’t usually this diligent, coming so early to cook.
But the sight that met her eyes was startling.
Standing at the Zhou family’s doorstep was a woman as beautiful as a celestial being.
"Y-you… who are you?" Zhang Cuilan exclaimed.
Si Nian greeted her politely, "Hello, Auntie. I’m the daughter of the Lin family, the one betrothed to Mr. Zhou. I just arrived yesterday."
"The Lin family’s daughter? Lin Sisi? So it’s you…" The woman paused, visibly stunned.
Rumors had been circulating that the Lin family’s daughter refused to marry into this household.
"I’m not Lin Sisi. My name is Si Nian. Lin Sisi is the adopted daughter—we were accidentally switched at birth."
"Oh right, I did hear about that. They said she wasn’t their biological daughter, that she was actually from a wealthy city family, right?"
Si Nian nodded. "That’s correct. Since our identities were corrected, the arranged marriage naturally falls to me."
Neighbors nearby overheard and began gathering, scrutinizing her from head to toe. "I knew it—you don’t look like a country girl at all."
"Yeah, you’re as pretty as those celebrities on TV."
Aunt Zhang, impressed by her politeness and grace, softened her tone. "It must’ve been hard on you. Lin Sisi had already agreed to the marriage, but the moment she found out she wasn’t their real daughter, she changed her mind faster than flipping a page."
Living next door, she was well-informed about the situation.
Everyone thought the engagement was off, but now the biological daughter had stepped in.
And this one was breathtakingly beautiful—like a fairy descended from the heavens.
"It’s no hardship, Auntie. I think the Zhou family is quite nice."
"Fairy sister, your house smells so good!" the little boy chirped sweetly.
Though a bit grubby, the chubby four- or five-year-old was undeniably adorable.
Si Nian immediately pulled a handful of candies from her pocket and handed them to him. "Such a sweet boy. Come eat at my place sometime."
"O-oh, we couldn’t possibly! Such expensive candy is wasted on him," Aunt Zhang protested.
They were White Rabbit milk candies—costing over a dozen yuan per pound.
Si Nian chuckled at the eager little boy. "No matter how expensive, candy is meant for children. I’m new here, so I’ll need your guidance, Auntie. Consider this a small token of appreciation."
She tucked the candies into the boy’s pockets.
The boy hastily unwrapped one and popped it into his mouth, earning a smack from his grandmother. "You brat! Where are your manners? Thank your auntie!"
"Fank you, Auntie."
"Good boy~" Si Nian ruffled his hair. The onlookers exchanged glances, murmuring among themselves.
"City folks are different—even their candy is top-tier."
"No kidding. But can a pampered young lady like her really survive in our village?"
"Who knows?"
Everyone was aware of the Zhou family’s circumstances, and seeing Si Nian’s generosity, they couldn’t help but sigh.
"Aunt Liu still hasn’t come to cook for the kids?" Aunt Zhang scolded her grandson before asking, "I smelled meat from your place from afar and thought she’d arrived."
Si Nian shook her head. "Not yet."
Aunt Zhang clicked her tongue. "Tch! That lazy woman. She takes Zhou Yueshen’s money but can’t be bothered to show up before noon to care for the kids. They’re all skin and bones! Today, she’s probably skipping because you’re here. That woman’s got no good intentions—she’s been scheming to marry her own good-for-nothing daughter into the Zhou family."
Si Nian paused. She’d already sensed Aunt Liu’s ulterior motives, but hearing about her daughter clarified things.
"I see. Don’t worry, Aunt Zhang. I’ll take care of the children from now on—at least they won’t go hungry."
Aunt Zhang warmed to her even more. This girl, despite being from the city, wasn’t the least bit arrogant. She was easy to talk to, and judging by the delicious aroma, she knew her way around a kitchen.
Who needed Liu Dongmei anyway?
"That’s wonderful! Though it’ll be tough—cooking for the kids every day and delivering lunch to Zhou Yueshen at noon."
Si Nian blinked. "Deliver lunch?"
Aunt Zhang nodded. "Didn’t Aunt Liu tell you? Zhou Yueshen and his crew are too busy to come home for lunch, so their meals have to be brought to them. Several wives in the village do the same for their husbands. But since Zhou Yueshen wasn’t married, Aunt Liu used to handle his deliveries."
Because of the midday schedule, Aunt Liu had taken advantage, arriving just before noon to cook. Every day, Aunt Zhang had heard Yaoyao wailing from hunger.
Today, though, the child was unusually quiet.
Si Nian found it understandable but realized Aunt Liu had deliberately kept this from her—another trap.
In the countryside, delivering meals to working men was standard. If she failed to do so today, Zhou Yueshen would have to work on an empty stomach.
What would he think of her then?
Si Nian narrowed her eyes. That old woman was full of tricks.
"Thanks for telling me, Aunt Zhang. I’ll take lunch to him later. Could you watch Yaoyao for me in the meantime?"
Aunt Zhang smiled. "No need to be so polite. My Shitou loves playing with Yaoyao anyway."
Si Nian thanked her.
Aunt Zhang headed home to prepare lunch, but her grandson shook free and darted into the house, declaring he’d help "take care of Yaoyao."
After scolding him halfheartedly, Aunt Zhang gave Si Nian an apologetic look. "This rascal’s a handful, but he really adores Yaoyao. Don’t mind him."
Si Nian laughed. "It’s fine. With Shitou keeping her company, I’ll have one less thing to worry about."
Once Aunt Zhang left, Si Nian entered the house and saw Shitou feeding Yaoyao one of the candies he’d just received.
"Yaoyao, open wide! Brother’s giving you candy!"
Yaoyao, delighted to see Shitou, obediently opened her mouth and began gnawing on the treat with her tiny teeth.
Si Nian smiled. "Shitou, keep an eye on Yaoyao for me. I’m going to cook."
"You got it, Auntie! Leave it to me!" Shitou grinned, his teeth on full display.
Si Nian found it amusing. If only Zhou Yueshen’s other two children were this easy to handle, she thought, before turning toward the kitchen.
There was still some braised pork left from last night, but not much—certainly not enough for a grown man like Zhou Yueshen.
