Mu Haoxuan glanced at the hand Mu Yongnian extended toward him and turned his head away in refusal.
"I'm not going back with you. Sister already agreed to let me stay with her."
"What?" Mu Yongnian was shocked. "How can you stay here? This is Big Brother and Sister-in-law's home."
"This is Sister's home. If she says I can stay, then I can stay. Right, Sister?" Mu Haoxuan said, lifting his large, watery eyes to look at Song Nianchu.
Song Nianchu simply couldn’t bring herself to refuse those pleading eyes.
She looked up at Mu Yongnian instead.
"Haoxuan had a rough night. Let him stay here for tonight. I’ll talk to him tomorrow."
"But…" Mu Yongnian hesitated, glancing at Mu Shi'an beside him as if seeking his opinion.
Mu Shi'an watched Mu Haoxuan clinging tightly to Song Nianchu and sighed softly.
"Let Haoxuan stay here tonight."
Hearing this, Mu Yongnian opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t find the words.
He stole another glance at Song Nianchu. Truthfully, he didn’t want to go back and share a room with Mu Jingmei either.
But he was already a big kid—he couldn’t just curl up in Song Nianchu’s arms and act spoiled like Mu Haoxuan.
"If that’s the case… then I’ll… just go back…" In the end, Mu Yongnian couldn’t bring himself to ask to stay.
He now understood the difference between marrying into a family and being a son-in-law.
People had told him that after becoming a son-in-law, the wife’s word was law at home.
Mu Haoxuan was already staying. If he also asked to remain, his big brother would surely find it hard to agree.
Mu Yongnian took slow, reluctant steps toward the door, turning back every few paces.
"Wait." Before he reached the door, a clear voice called out from behind.
Mu Yongnian immediately spun around, hopeful.
Song Nianchu looked at the plate of cumin squid in Mu Shi'an’s hands and asked,
"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat before you go?"
Realizing she wasn’t asking him to stay, disappointment flickered briefly in Mu Yongnian’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
His attention shifted to the delicious-looking dish in Mu Shi'an’s hands.
"Sister, can I have some?" Before Mu Yongnian could answer, Mu Haoxuan was already unable to resist.
"Of course." Song Nianchu took the plate from Mu Shi'an, picked up a piece of squid with chopsticks, and held it to Mu Haoxuan’s lips. "It might be a little spicy. Can you handle it?"
"I can, I can!" The aroma had already overwhelmed Mu Haoxuan—spiciness was the last thing on his mind. He eagerly took a bite.
The first taste was fiery, followed by tender juiciness, growing more flavorful with each chew.
Though it was spicy, the deliciousness overshadowed the heat. Mu Haoxuan opened his mouth again and devoured the remaining half in one go.
"This is so good, Sister! You made this? It’s amazing!" The Mu family rarely ate seafood, and Mu Haoxuan had never tried squid before, but he trusted Song Nianchu wouldn’t give him anything bad.
"If you like it, have more." Song Nianchu smiled gently before turning back to Mu Yongnian. "Want to try some?"
Mu Yongnian wanted to refuse, but the tempting aroma was too much. In the end, he walked over.
Song Nianchu handed him the chopsticks, and Mu Yongnian picked up a small piece and popped it into his mouth.
The unfamiliar yet incredible taste left him momentarily stunned.
"I want more!" Seeing Mu Yongnian frozen in place, Mu Haoxuan snatched the chopsticks from him and stuffed another piece into his own mouth.
He didn’t forget to beam at Song Nianchu. "Sister, you should have some too!"
"I’ve already eaten. You enjoy it." Song Nianchu patted his head affectionately.
"Mm!" Mu Haoxuan nodded obediently.
The entire plate of cumin squid ended up in Mu Haoxuan and Mu Yongnian’s stomachs.
Though their lips were red and they were sweating from the spice, their faces were filled with satisfaction.
"Sister, I’m full now. Where do I sleep tonight?" Mu Haoxuan had already wanted to stick close to Song Nianchu, but after tasting her cooking, he was even more reluctant to leave.
"Have you bathed yet?" Song Nianchu asked.
Mu Haoxuan shook his head.
Fetching water for a bath was hard work—they had to carry it themselves and then heat it.
With Big Brother away and Father bedridden, he and his third brother had to haul water bucket by bucket.
But they were small, and even after much effort, they could only manage one full bucket.
And that single bucket, once heated, was barely enough for Mu Jingmei alone.
Mother said kids didn’t need to bathe often, but Mu Jingmei was a girl—girls would get sick if they didn’t wash.
Mu Jingmei often complained about them not bathing and refused to let them share the bed, even though she was the one using up all the water.
"No bath, no bed. I’ll heat water for you." Song Nianchu was firm—even children had to wash before sleeping.
"I can light the fire myself!" Mu Haoxuan quickly raised his hand.
He knew that if he wanted to stay with Song Nianchu, he had to prove his usefulness.
His second sister had said it—no one kept useless people at home, no matter how young.
"You know how to light a fire?"
"Yes!"
"That’s impressive."
Mu Haoxuan immediately puffed up with pride.
"I… I can do it too. I can even fetch water," Mu Yongnian couldn’t help but add.
Song Nianchu turned to him, her eyes softening with amusement. "You’re also very capable."
Mu Yongnian brightened like a child unexpectedly given candy, his earlier hesitation vanishing instantly.
"You probably haven’t bathed either, right? You can wash up with Haoxuan later." Song Nianchu hadn’t invited Mu Yongnian earlier because the boy seemed prideful—she didn’t want to push him. But now that he’d spoken up, she could suggest it naturally.
"...Okay." Though his voice was stiff, Mu Yongnian didn’t refuse.
True to their word, Mu Haoxuan and Mu Yongnian were quite skilled at lighting fires—they must have done it often at home.
Once the water was heated, Song Nianchu fetched a new bar of soap and towels for them.
She didn’t have spare clothes, so she gave them two of her old ones.
"Can you wash yourselves?" Song Nianchu asked.
"Yes!" Mu Haoxuan nodded vigorously.
"Then go ahead." Song Nianchu was about to carry the water to the washroom.
"Let me." Mu Shi'an took the bucket from her.
"Alright." She didn’t object—after all, they were his brothers.
Mu Shi'an carried the hot water to the washroom, reminding them to scrub thoroughly before leaving.
Back in the kitchen, Song Nianchu had already washed the dishes and was heating another pot of water—she and Mu Shi'an still needed to bathe too.
"Are you really okay with Haoxuan staying?" Mu Shi'an asked, a trace of tension in his voice.
