Because Zhou Yueshen’s farm was very busy, and as the owner, he couldn’t stay away for long, the two of them had to leave soon after breakfast.
Lin’s father and Lin’s mother looked reluctant but didn’t want to overstay their welcome.
So after finishing breakfast, the two prepared to leave.
At that moment—
The Zhou family.
It was Saturday, so no school today.
Zhou Yuehan sat on the table, eating the sour soup soaked rice his older brother had made.
His face was twisted in discomfort.
His eyes kept darting outside, and at that moment, he suddenly realized he actually missed that beautiful stepmother.
Zhou Yuedong ate expressionlessly.
For the first time, Zhou Yuehan didn’t finish his meal. Not wanting to waste it, he took it outside to feed Da Huang.
But Da Huang just sniffed the food at the tip of his nose, then turned his head away without even glancing at it.
Zhou Yuehan whispered, “Da Huang, do you think my brother’s cooking tastes bad too?”
“I think so too, but I’m too scared to say it.”
“I wonder when that stepmother will come back. Not that I miss her—I’m just worried about my little sister.”
He squatted beside Da Huang, murmuring to himself.
Just then, the door creaked open.
Zhou Yuehan looked up expectantly, only to see Aunt Liu with a pleading smile.
He immediately felt disappointed.
“Little second brother, open the door for grandma! Grandma brought you some treats.”
Since Aunt Liu returned home, her family had been cold to her after hearing she was fired.
Hearing that Zhou Yueshen and Si Nian had gone to the neighboring village, she hurried over, hoping to scrounge some goodies.
Seeing the little second brother at home, her eyes lit up.
These two kids were timid; they never dared to tattle on her no matter what she did.
So she coaxed him to open the door.
Hearing there were treats, the little second brother eagerly walked over.
“What treats?” he asked curiously at the door, looking at Aunt Liu.
But she had nothing in her hands.
“If you let grandma in, grandma will give you some,” Aunt Liu said, using a trick to coax the child.
Her own kids were too stingy to buy treats, let alone give them to others.
The little second brother was a bit suspicious but didn’t think much and opened the door.
Sure enough, Aunt Liu slipped inside, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly headed into the Zhou house.
It wasn’t easy for just anyone to get into the Zhou family’s home.
Unlike other families, for the safety of the children, Zhou Yueshen not only kept a big dog but also locked the iron gate.
Other houses had wooden sticks propping the door from behind, often visited by thieves and troublemakers.
But no one had ever dared to come near the large Zhou residence.
Aunt Liu dared only because she had worked there for a while.
Zhou Yuehan regretted letting her in. Though he didn’t like Aunt Liu, she was at least a familiar face, so he hadn’t thought twice.
Now, seeing her ignore him and head inside, he grew anxious.
“Aunt Liu, are you here for something?”
Aunt Liu replied perfunctorily, “I left something here and came to look for it.”
With that, she walked toward the second floor.
That woman came from the city, surely bringing plenty of good things with her. She secretly took some items away, and later on, Si Nian might think it was either the second or the eldest child who stole them.
She couldn’t believe that woman would remain so calm after having things stolen.
Zhou Yuedong had just finished washing the dishes when he saw Aunt Liu entering the stepmother’s room in their house. His younger brother trailed behind her, looking utterly helpless.
He hurried over and asked, “Yuehan, why is she here?”
Zhou Yuehan wanted to follow them inside but was locked out by Aunt Liu. At this point, he was so anxious he was almost in tears.
Realizing he had messed up, he didn’t know what to do. When he saw his older brother arrive, it was like finding an anchor. His voice trembled as he said, “Big brother, Grandma Liu said she left some things at our house. She said if we let her in, she’d give me some treats. Then she went straight into the stepmother’s room... boohoo, I didn’t mean to.”
Zhou Yuehan’s eyes were red, his legs trembling uncontrollably. He was stumbling over his words, clearly panicked.
If Grandma Liu really stole something from the stepmother...
He was sure he’d get beaten to death by her. Boohoo, he was doomed.
Zhou Yuedong gave his brother a stern look, full of frustration and disappointment. “You idiot!”
**
Si Nian and Zhou Yueshen returned to the village and then parted ways. Zhou Yueshen headed straight to the farm, while she took Yaoyao by the hand and walked home.
It was Saturday, and the eldest and second children didn’t have school. Si Nian thought about taking the kids to the mountains to gather some wild goods.
The weather was perfect; it had rained lightly in the middle of the night, so the mountains were sure to be full of wild mushrooms.
Perfect for making a fresh, flavorful soup.
But just as she reached the front gate, she noticed it was wide open.
Curious, she stepped inside. Da Huang saw her and immediately wagged his tail, standing up as if to say, “Woman, I’m hungry.”
Si Nian had spent some time with Da Huang and knew he wouldn’t bite or be afraid.
Just as she was about to reach out and pet him, she heard faint crying coming from inside the house.
It was the second child’s voice.
Si Nian’s expression tightened. She hurried inside.
She found the eldest child collapsed on the floor, while the second was sobbing fearfully.
Aunt Liu stood arrogantly before the two kids, scolding them harshly. She even tried to kick them. “You little brats, how dare you block me? Don’t want to live anymore, huh...”
After saying this, she turned to leave. But the smug look on her face froze the moment she saw Si Nian standing at the doorway.
Instinctively, she clutched her pocket.
Si Nian hadn’t expected Aunt Liu to show up here. Her face darkened as she strode forward and helped Zhou Yuedong up from the floor.
She glanced him over, relieved to see he was unharmed, then turned to the visibly flustered Aunt Liu.
Si Nian narrowed her eyes. “Aunt Liu, what exactly are you doing here?”
“I—I didn’t do anything! It’s just that these little brats blocked my way and wouldn’t let me leave, so I pushed one of them. It’s not my fault,” Aunt Liu stammered, clearly feeling guilty and trying to defend herself.
“Then may I ask why you’re in my house?” Si Nian asked sternly.
Aunt Liu spoke with righteous indignation, "I was here taking care of the children earlier and accidentally left something behind, so I came back to get it." Her eyes darted around as she continued, filled with righteous anger, "But I never expected to walk in and catch these two kids sneaking around your room, stealing things. I scolded them a bit and warned them I'd tell you, and they immediately panicked and tried to stop me from leaving. That's exactly what happened!"
"You've probably heard about this too—their previous stepmother was driven away by these two. They're terrified someone might take their father away from them. Don't be fooled by their young age; their minds are sharp and cunning."
Hearing her shameless accusations, Zhou Yuedong and Zhou Yuehan's faces instantly drained of color.
They stared wide-eyed in shock, utterly disbelieving.
