"I'm here to see my son. Tell him to come out and meet me." Mu's mother looked at Song Nianchu, her brows furrowing slightly. She also thought this woman was incredibly rude—who in their right mind would block their mother-in-law at the door?
"Which son are you looking for?" Song Nianchu didn’t seem the least bit bothered by their attitude.
"Mu Shi'an, my eldest son!" Mu's mother struggled to keep her emotions in check.
"He’s still at the hospital," Song Nianchu replied casually.
"Still at the hospital? Then why are you at home? A grown man like him wouldn’t know the first thing about taking care of someone." Mu's mother frowned.
Song Nianchu couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the question.
"If he can’t take care of people, why don’t you go and do it yourselves?"
"You—!" Mu's mother’s face flushed red and then paled with anger.
"Song Nianchu, if you keep being so disrespectful to my mother, I’ll make sure to tell my eldest brother when he gets back and have him divorce you!" Mu Jingmei immediately stepped forward to support Mu's mother.
"Divorce? Fine by me. Just return the betrothal gifts first." Song Nianchu held out her hand without hesitation.
Mu Jingmei’s face twisted in embarrassment. The two hundred yuan had long been spent—on medicine, meat, and other necessities—leaving nowhere near enough to pay it back.
"Can’t even cough up the money, yet you dare come to my doorstep and make demands? Get lost, or next time I’ll dump a bucket of manure on you!" Song Nianchu’s patience had worn thin, and she slammed the courtyard gate shut.
Outside, Mu's mother was so furious she could barely breathe, her chest heaving as if she might faint on the spot.
"Mom, are you okay?" Mu Jingmei’s voice sounded urgent, but there wasn’t much genuine concern in her eyes.
"That woman…" Mu's mother pointed a trembling finger at the closed gate, too enraged to form a complete sentence.
"Mom, I told you—women who grew up in the countryside like her are crude and ill-mannered." Mu Jingmei scoffed.
"I… I just wanted to ask how your father is doing, and your two younger brothers still haven’t come home…" Mu's mother clutched her chest, trying to calm herself.
At the mention of them, a flicker of malice passed through Mu Jingmei’s eyes.
Those two burdens had turned traitor too!
"Let’s just go, Mom. Song Nianchu has a foul temper and brute strength, and with my eldest brother not home, if she decides to attack us, there’d be no one to help. We should head back. Once Dad is discharged, my eldest brother will surely bring him home." Mu Jingmei had worked all day and was starving. She just wanted to hurry back for dinner, but her mother had insisted on coming here to ask about her father and eldest brother. Now, after being turned away, she was both famished and furious.
"You’re right. Once your father’s discharged, your eldest brother will bring him home." Mu Jingmei’s words finally eased some of Mu's mother’s anxiety.
"Mom, let’s go home. You haven’t eaten all day—you can’t collapse before Dad even returns." Mu Jingmei softened her tone.
"Alright, let’s go make dinner." Mu's mother was deeply moved by her daughter’s apparent concern.
She let Mu Jingmei guide her home, completely oblivious to the fact that her daughter only ever offered empty words and never lifted a finger to help.
——
When Song Nianchu returned to the kitchen, Mu Yongnian and Mu Haoxuan had already washed all the dishes and even scrubbed the stove spotless.
"Good job. Here’s your reward." Song Nianchu pulled two White Rabbit milk candies from her pocket like a magician.
"Candy!" Mu Haoxuan immediately reached for it, but Mu Yongnian stopped him.
"Eldest sister-in-law, you cooked for us, so it’s only right that we clean up. You don’t need to give us candy." Mu Yongnian spoke earnestly.
Their father was still in the hospital, and who knew how much his treatment would cost? They couldn’t afford to be wasteful.
Though Mu Haoxuan was practically drooling, he reluctantly withdrew his hand at his brother’s words.
"It’s fine, I bought these just for you." Song Nianchu pressed the candies into Mu Yongnian’s hand.
She had picked them up while shopping for Mu Shi'an and Mu's Father earlier. She couldn’t leave these two little ones out.
Before Mu Yongnian could protest further, Song Nianchu cut in.
"Brush your teeth after eating, or you’ll get cavities."
"Okay!" Mu Haoxuan agreed eagerly.
"I’m going to take a bath. You two enjoy your candy." Song Nianchu fetched a bucket of hot water and headed to the washroom.
The moment she left, Mu Haoxuan fixed his brother with the most pitiful puppy-dog eyes imaginable.
Unable to resist, Mu Yongnian handed him one of the candies.
"Go on."
Mu Haoxuan tore open the wrapper and popped it into his mouth.
The rich, creamy sweetness made his eyes crinkle with delight.
"Is it good?" Mu Yongnian licked his lips, unable to hide his own craving.
"So sweet! Third Brother, you should eat yours too!" Mu Haoxuan mumbled around the candy.
Mu Yongnian looked down at the remaining candy in his palm, then clenched his fist.
His father was still sick. He’d save this one for him.
Carefully, he tucked the candy into his pocket.
——
By the time Song Nianchu finished bathing, Mu Yongnian and Mu Haoxuan were still tending to the fire in the kitchen.
"Your bathwater should be ready now. No need to keep the fire going—go wash up." Song Nianchu scooped the hot water into wooden buckets and carried them to the washroom for them.
Once the boys were clean, they climbed into bed.
"Sleep tight. I still have some things to take care of." Song Nianchu tucked them in and smoothed their blankets.
"Okay." Mu Yongnian nodded.
"Sister, I’ll warm the bed for you. Come back soon!" Mu Haoxuan’s eyes sparkled.
"Alright." Song Nianchu ruffled his hair with a smile before stepping out.
Standing in the courtyard, she sighed at the pile of scattered wood.
She had originally planned to use the money earned from Manager Li to start preparing for the fishing gear factory.
But with only one net-weaving machine finished and the other still half-built, the project was at a standstill. Without Mu Shi'an, she couldn’t handle this alone. It seemed the plan would have to wait.
Returning to the kitchen, she got to work. With ten extra portions to prepare for tomorrow, she needed to prep the fish tonight or risk running out of time in the morning.
Two hours later, she finally finished processing the ingredients. A quick fry in the morning, and everything would be ready.
After storing everything away, she quietly slipped back into the bedroom.
Mu Yongnian and Mu Haoxuan were fast asleep, their breathing even and peaceful. Song Nianchu blew out the oil lamp and climbed into bed as gently as possible.
——
The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten when Song Nianchu woke. Glancing at the still-sleeping boys beside her, she carefully tried to rise.
But the moment she moved, a small hand clutched her sleeve.
"Eldest sister-in-law?"
She turned to see Mu Yongnian blinking up at her.
