Who would have thought that Fu Yang—who had always looked down on Si Nian—would completely lose his temper upon hearing this!
In the past, he had often made Si Nian angry, treating her far more cruelly than he ever did Lin Sisi.
Forget about taking photos—Si Nian had even traveled a long way to the military base to find him, and he wouldn’t have given her a second glance.
Yet despite all that, Si Nian never complained or tattled; she silently endured everything.
But Lin Sisi? He had barely exchanged a few words with her, and she was already threatening to call off their engagement, making him feel trapped on all sides.
Hearing his sister’s words, Fu Yang immediately snapped, “What did you just say?”
Though he was convinced that the closeness between Si Nian and Zhou Yueshen that day was probably just to provoke him,
the more he thought about it after returning home, the more uncomfortable he felt.
He grew even more impatient with Lin Sisi.
And now, his family was insisting that he go and appease her.
Was he crazy? Si Nian had never been coaxed by him before—why should he bother with Lin Sisi?
Hearing his sister’s words, Fu Yang narrowed his eyes dangerously and glared at her.
“Take it literally, huh? You and that Lin Sisi really have no shame—your relationship is a mess, and you’re blaming Si Nian for it!”
Fu Qianqian rolled her eyes.
If she hadn’t seen Zhou Yueshen for herself, she might have almost believed that Si Nian had truly sabotaged their relationship.
But after visiting the countryside and seeing how comfortably Si Nian was living—driving a big truck like a handsome, carefree kid—what reason would she have to ruin their relationship?
When it came to wealth, she was no poorer than the Fu family.
When it came to looks, she was even on par with him.
And temper? She would easily win hands down!
Not to mention Si Nian—Fu Qianqian herself knew who she would choose.
She had completely figured it out now: the idea that Si Nian was destroying their relationship was just an excuse to cover up the fact that the two of them simply couldn’t get along and were looking for a scapegoat.
Fu Yang’s face darkened at his sister’s mockery.
“When did I ever blame her? Explain yourself!”
“Then why didn’t you explain when Lin Sisi said she was the one ruining your relationship with Si Nian and wanted to call off the engagement to give you to her? Everyone ended up thinking Si Nian couldn’t let you go, and that’s why she was destroying your marriage!”
Fu Yang paused, then instinctively said, “Isn’t that true?”
Fu Qianqian: “?”
Crazy, really.
Her brother was such a lunatic.
**
In Xingfu Village, at the Zhou family’s home.
Si Nian was looking at the rabbit in her hands, unsure how to handle it.
She had originally planned to wait for Zhou Yueshen to take care of it.
But he said he’d be home too late tonight, and if the rabbit stayed out too long, it wouldn’t be fresh anymore.
Si Nian had been hoping to enjoy some spicy rabbit stew tonight, but she really didn’t dare to skin it herself.
At this moment, Yaoyao was squatting nearby, holding some cabbage and feeding the little rabbit.
The rabbit was no longer afraid. Its mouth twitched as it nibbled on the crisp cabbage, making a satisfying crunch.
Watching this, Yaoyao couldn’t help but put some cabbage into her own mouth.
“Dummy, rabbits eat dirty food!” Zhou Yuehan scolded his sister from the side, holding some cabbage to feed the rabbit himself, his face full of affection.
Yaoyao looked at him blankly while biting her finger, then went back to feeding the rabbit.
Just then, someone arrived at the door.
Lin's mother stood at the Si family’s doorstep, accompanied by a tall but very lean man, knocking on the door.
“Nian Nian, hurry and open the door.”
Si Nian looked up, and the moment she saw who it was, her eyes lit up.
She quickly got up to open the door and led the two inside.
The man behind her kept glancing at her, a mix of restraint and surprise in his gaze.
He was silent and reserved, with a face that clearly showed a simple and honest nature.
His skin was as dark as coal.
Though not as tall and strong as Zhou Yueshen, his muscles were solid and well-defined.
Handsome in a rugged way, despite his dark complexion, it was obvious he was strikingly good-looking—and bore a few similarities to her.
There was no denying it: the Lin family’s genes were truly impressive.
It was clear at a glance—this was her half-brother, Lin Xiao.
“Mom, this is my big brother?”
“Yes, Xiao Xiao, this is your sister, Nian Nian.”
“Hello, nice to meet you.” Lin Xiao looked up at the tall and sturdy woman, speaking shyly and stammering a little.
He still found it hard to believe that the sister who had repeatedly refused to see them was really here now, standing right in front of him, alive and well.
According to his mother, she had put the past behind her—not only agreeing to marry Zhou Yueshen, who had been engaged to Lin Sisi, but also letting Zhou Yueshen help her secure a job.
A job at the farm—one that many people had tried to get but couldn’t.
And now, here he was, helping out with the delivery trucks. Considering his limited skills, landing such an opportunity was practically impossible!
He had never quite believed it, but the moment he saw Si Nian, a strange sense of reassurance washed over him.
Maybe this was the magic of shared blood—the first impression this sister gave him was a good one. She wasn’t the type to be arrogant or look down on them.
Si Nian looked at her half-brother and covered her mouth to laugh. “No need for formalities, just call me Nian Nian.”
Hearing that sweet “big brother,” Lin Xiao’s heart melted, and a sincere smile spread across his face as he nodded repeatedly.
“You came just in time. I was worried about how to deal with this rabbit. You help me with it, and I’ll make something delicious for you all,” Si Nian said, nodding toward the rabbit lying on the ground.
Lin’s mother smiled and encouraged her son to get started, but then pulled her daughter aside with concern.
“Nian Nian, your brother hasn’t been learning long. I’m worried it might be tough. Even though Yueshen says it’s fine, you should still advise him not to push himself too hard, just in case something happens.”
Si Nian nodded. “Mom, I understand. Yueshen must have thought it through. Whether it works or not, my brother will have to try for himself.”
After some thought, Lin’s mother agreed and nodded.
Lin Xiao quickly got to work. Before long, he had skinned the rabbit, cleaned it thoroughly, and cut it into the small pieces Si Nian needed.
Si Nian planned to save half for soup and use the other half to make spicy diced rabbit.
Rabbit meat soup was delicious and fresh, and luckily, the mushrooms they had picked hadn’t been used up yet—perfect for the soup.
She first added scallions, ginger, and cooking wine to remove the gamey smell, then used boiling water to rinse away the blood.
After adding the right amount of water, she brought it to a boil over high heat.
Soup needed a long time to cook; simmering on low heat would take at least an hour.
Since the family was coming over, Si Nian decided to prepare a few extra dishes.
Lin's mother helped from the sidelines, watching her daughter move with practiced ease—her heart a mix of pain and pride.
Noticing that the firewood was running low, Lin Xiao quickly stood up and, before long, returned carrying a hefty bundle of wood.
Once the soup was simmering, Si Nian began steaming the rice.
The rice, steamed the night before, would be ready in about ten minutes.
The seasonings had been prepared in advance, and the dishes were already set.
She started by frying pork fat to render the cracklings, then took them out and tossed in chili peppers, spices, and Sichuan peppercorns to stir-fry.
The pungent aroma of chili filled her nostrils, but the spicy fragrance made her mouth water uncontrollably.
Just as the dishes were placed on the table, the heavy iron gate was suddenly pounded on with loud bangs.
