Hearing Mingli say this, Nan's Mother quickly asked, "Was your father hurt? How serious are the others' injuries?"
Mingli replied, "Dad's fine. We were far away and ran off when the bull charged. Luckily, you didn’t go to work today—the bull rushed straight from the mountain into the dry fields. Several aunties got hurt while trying to dodge it."
They had Nan Sheng to thank for this. If she hadn’t kept her mother talking, Nan's Mother, with her slow legs, might not have outrun the four-legged beast.
Nan's Mother shuddered at the thought, then said cheerfully, "That’s right! Thank you, my girl. You’re truly my lucky star. Who else would I dote on if not you?"
By the time Nan's Father returned, dusk had fallen. The dishes on the table remained untouched. Mingli immediately went to reheat the food—stewed meat always tasted better warm.
Seeing that the children hadn’t eaten either, Nan's Father frowned. "Why didn’t you let the kids eat first? Why wait for me?"
Nan Sheng smiled and smoothed things over. "Mom wanted them to eat earlier, but the children are so well-behaved—they insisted on waiting for Grandpa to come back!"
Nan's Mother chimed in, "Exactly! You and your temper need to change. Don’t scare my two grandchildren."
The main dish for dinner was stewed chicken, loaded with potatoes, noodles, and chunks of meat, served in a large bowl. To balance the richness, Nan Sheng had also stir-fried some greens and prepared a cucumber salad.
Nan's Mother placed the two big chicken drumsticks on the children’s plates—one each. It was a tradition in the Nan family not to chop the drumsticks. In the past, they had always been reserved for Nan Sheng and her younger brother.
This time, the two of them had to settle for chicken wings instead.
Qiqi gasped, "Wow, the whole drumstick is for me?"
Nan's Mother cooed, "Yes, all for our Qiqi! Eat up and grow tall so you can become a big kid soon."
Sizhe glanced at the drumstick, then at the others. He felt a little awkward accepting it, but since his stepmother didn’t object, he couldn’t refuse. Softly, he thanked Nan's Mother, "Thank you, Grandma."
Goodwill points +1+1+1—another three points!
Nan's Father picked out the meatiest pieces and placed them in his daughter’s bowl. "Do they starve you at the Lin household? You’ve gotten so thin and dark. Eat more meat to regain your strength."
Sizhe and Qiqi exchanged glances. Of course she’s starving! The rice porridge was watery, and despite the garden full of vegetables, they were never allowed to eat them. That’s how it had been for months.
But the mood was pleasant now, so they kept quiet to avoid spoiling it.
Nan Sheng felt a little awkward. She couldn’t very well say that the original owner had starved herself to death over a scumbag, could she?
"Dad, it’s just summer fatigue. Don’t worry—I’ll make sure to raise myself and the two kids plump and healthy from now on!"
That night, Nan's Mother slept in the west room with her daughter and the two children, while Nan's Father and his son took the east room. The small room was too cramped, and with the kitchen still radiating heat, Mingli refused to sleep there.
"Mom, let Mingli move to the west room. We can use the small room for storage. When I visit, we can arrange things just like today."
Nan's Mother agreed. "Alright, I’ll tell him later. Your brother always hopes you’ll visit more—he doesn’t want to take your space."
Even Nan's Father, despite his grumbling about cutting ties with his daughter, had never suggested his son move into her old room.
The children fell asleep early. Exhausted from the day’s work, Nan's Mother tried to stay awake for a little longer, chatting until she accidentally dozed off, ending their late-night talk. Nan Sheng learned a bit more about the family’s affairs.
She didn’t undress. Once she confirmed everyone was asleep, she slipped out of bed, put on her shoes, and carefully opened the door to avoid making noise. To her surprise, she wasn’t the only one still awake.
She carried a flashlight but didn’t turn it on until she was well outside the courtyard. The village was pitch black—anyone with a weak heart wouldn’t dare walk this path at night.
Nan Sheng muttered as she walked, "I’m not exactly normal either, so let’s not scare each other!"
Not far from the Nan household stood a dilapidated, abandoned house. Someone was waiting for her inside, and when they saw Nan Sheng approaching with her flashlight, they grew irritated.
"Turn that off! What if someone sees?"
What if they do?
Too bad!
Nan Sheng shone the light directly at the man. He was even more handsome than the system had described—his hair neatly parted, his clothes impeccably pressed, clearly having taken extra care with his appearance. Compared to the rough farmhands, he stood out like a polished gem.
She didn’t know how their past interactions had gone, but she guessed the original owner had fawned over him, allowing this pretty boy to act so high and mighty.
Nan Sheng had no intention of letting the scumbag off easy. She decided to toy with him.
"Yu Sheng, does being with me embarrass you? Why do we always have to meet in secret? If you don’t want this, let’s just break up."
In the darkness, his expression was unreadable, but from her tone, Yu Sheng assumed she sounded heartbroken. He cursed himself for losing his cool.
He reached out to grab her, but she dodged. Her voice remained sorrowful.
"I’m married now. Everyone tells me to focus on building a life with Lin Han. I know I’m not good enough for you—let’s just end things."
Her words only made Yu Sheng more frantic. If they ended things, where would he get all that money?
If not for his family’s troubles, he wouldn’t have batted an eye at two thousand, even five or ten thousand! Now, reduced to trading his looks for cash, he felt utterly humiliated.
Nan Sheng despised his self-pity. Oh, the male lead thinks he’s the victim? She’d make sure to disgust him—maybe he’d cut off every part of himself she touched.
She boldly ran her hands over him, then feigned shyness.
Kid, I’ve seen more of the world than you’ve eaten rice. Let’s see how you handle this!
Yu Sheng flushed crimson, inwardly cursing her shamelessness. If this was a breakup, why was she practically tearing his pants off?
The system panel flashed a warning: Behavior noted. Goodwill -5.
Nan Sheng was stunned. What just happened?
Yu Sheng grabbed her hands, his voice strained. "I truly love you. Even married, I still do. But I can’t do hard labor—how can I give you a future? If only I could return to the city, I’d take you with me to live like a wealthy lady."
He was hinting for her to raise money for him. The original owner had been foolish enough to sell herself for his sake, but Nan Sheng wasn’t her.
"But in all this time, you’ve never given me anything or admitted we were together in public. How do I know you really love me?"
Yu Sheng gritted his teeth. Since when did she become so sharp?
"Then tell me—how do you want me to prove it?"
"Lin Han gave me all his savings—a thousand yuan—saying the man provides and the woman manages the home. He even bought me a bracelet."
Her implication was clear. Would the scumbag take the bait?
In the original plot, the male lead had stumbled upon a pair of priceless emerald bracelets, which he later gave to the female lead. Right now, though, jade wasn’t worth much—he’d only done it to win her favor.
Yu Sheng treasured money more than his life, carrying it on him at all times.
After a brief pause, he pulled out several large bills from his inner pockets. When Nan Sheng shone her flashlight, she caught a glimpse of deep green—likely the jade bracelets.
"Yu Sheng, is that the bracelet you bought for me? I love it so much!"
