Dare to shirk responsibility? This adorable little one will tear down your military district!

The heads on the wall looked like groundhogs, wanting to shrink back, yet reluctant to give up the tempting sweetness.

Those are fruit candies!

In those days, the most common candy sold in supply and marketing cooperatives was Cuban candy, and the slightly better one was White Rabbit candy, which required ration coupons.

These kids had never seen fruit hard candies like the ones Meng Yaya was holding, wrapped in colored cellophane and exuding a strong artificial flavor.

"Gulp."

The sound of someone swallowing was particularly loud in the quiet air.

Meng Yaya wasn't in a hurry; she slowly peeled open the second one.

"It's so sweet." Meng Yaya stuffed the candy into her mouth, her cheek puffing out, and exclaimed indistinctly, "What a pity, I was going to share it with everyone, but since none of you want it, I can only feed it to the ants on the ground."

As she spoke, she pretended to scatter the small handful of candy in her hand into the mud.

"Don't!"

The skinny monkey on the wall who had just been hit in the eye couldn't hold back any longer.

He didn't care about being scared, and slid down the wall in a flash. He stumbled when he landed and fell right in front of Meng Yaya, his eyes fixed on her little hands.

"I want it! Give it to me!" The skinny monkey stretched out his dark hand.

Meng Yaya pulled her hand back and put it behind her back.

The skinny monkey, having missed his target, scratched his head in frustration: "You just said you'd give it to us!"

"That was just now." Meng Yaya looked at the skinny monkey who was two heads taller than her, and raised her chin slightly. "If you want it now, you have to trade something for it."

"I have no money." The skinny monkey turned his pockets inside out, revealing only two marbles and a slingshot.

"It's free." Meng Yaya held up one finger and waved it. "From now on, in this compound, if I say east, you can't go west. If anyone bullies my mother, you have to report it immediately. Can you do that?"

The skinny monkey was stunned for a moment.

That's it?

He thought the female demon was going to send him to blow up a bunker.

"Sure! As long as you give me candy, you're my sister!" Skinny Monkey shamelessly raised his hand in agreement.

In this compound, whoever feeds you is your mother, and whoever offers you sweets is your sister. Even if Wang Hu is hanging from a tree, following this new big shot isn't shameful.

"then."

Meng Yaya flicked her finger, and an orange-flavored candy ball flew in an arc and landed in the skinny monkey's hand.

The skinny monkey couldn't wait to unwrap the candy and throw it into his mouth.

In that instant, the sweet and sour taste exploded on his tongue, and the skinny monkey's eyes narrowed into slits with happiness, and he felt like he was floating.

"So sweet! And it's orange flavored!"

The few remaining children on the wall, seeing the skinny monkey enjoying his meal so much, couldn't resist any longer.

"Me too!"

"I'll obey! I'll report the news too!"

With a clattering sound, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, several children jumped down from the wall and surrounded Meng Yaya.

Lin Wanrou stood behind, watching the children who had been throwing mud at her fiercely just moments before now become as docile as lambs, calling her daughter "sister." She felt a little dazed.

Is this still the same Ya Ya who would only hide in the back and cry in the village?

"queue."

Meng Yaya waved her little hand, looking quite like a high-ranking official reviewing troops.

The children immediately stood in a row obediently, stretching out their hands expectantly.

Meng Yaya handed out candy to everyone one by one.

She would ask a question after each one she sent.

"What's your name?"

"Liu Tiedan".

Who is your father?

"Old Liu from the logistics department."

Where's your mom?

"Women textile factory workers."

After handing out candy, Meng Yaya not only won over the hearts of the children, but also thoroughly investigated their family backgrounds.

When the last chubby boy was handed out, Meng Yaya ran out of candy.

The chubby boy looked at his empty hands, his mouth trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes: "It's...it's gone?"

Meng Yaya took another one out of her handbag.

This is the last one, it's purple grape flavored.

She didn't rush to give it to him, but instead held the candy wrapper and looked at the chubby boy: "Wang Hu just said he was going to kick us out, who came up with that idea?"

The chubby boy stared at the candy, swallowed hard, and without hesitation betrayed his former boss: "Wang Hu heard it from his mother! And... and Officer Zhao too!"

"Officer Zhao?" Meng Yaya's eyes flickered slightly. "That White Bone Demon?"

"Yes, yes, yes! It's Aunt Zhao Fang!"

The chubby boy spilled the beans, telling the whole truth, all for that piece of candy.

"Yesterday afternoon, I saw Aunt Zhao talking to Wang Hu's mother at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, and she also gave Wang Hu a bag of biscuits."

"Then Wang Hu came back and said he was going to kick you out, saying you were beggars from the countryside and didn't deserve to live in courtyard number six."

really.

Meng Yaya sneered.

It's Zhao Fang again.

Since she enjoys playing dirty tricks behind people's backs so much, then she shouldn't be rude to her.

Meng Yaya tossed the last candy to the chubby boy: "Remember to tell me if Zhao Fang makes any moves in the future. If you behave well, you'll get a White Rabbit candy."

"Mission accomplished!" The chubby boy gave a crooked military salute.

"Alright, that's enough. Don't get in our way and delay our work." Meng Yaya waved her hand.

The children received the candy and ran off happily.

Even before leaving, Skinny Monkey made a point of picking out the few clods of mud that had just been thrown in, saying that they couldn't dirty the boss's yard.

The courtyard fell silent again.

Lin Wanrou walked over, squatted down, and straightened Meng Yaya's disheveled collar, her tone complicated: "Yaya, those candies... were they left by your Grandpa Sun?"

She remembered that these things weren't in the bundle Sun Shouzhen had given her.

"Ah, right." Meng Yaya shifted the blame to Old Man Sun, who couldn't provide any evidence, without changing her expression. "Grandpa Sun said this is called diplomacy. When you arrive in a new place, you have to pay your respects first."

Although Lin Wanrou didn't understand what diplomatic tactics were, she believed it because of her daughter's confident expression.

"We're new here, and Mom isn't very capable. We've relied entirely on you to protect us." Lin Wanrou hugged her daughter tightly, resting her chin on her soft hair, her voice slightly hoarse. "Am I really useless?"

Watching her daughter fight and win people over, Lin Wanrou, as a mother, could only stand by and watch, even having to rely on her daughter to protect her. This sense of powerlessness felt like a heavy stone was pressing on Lin Wanrou's heart.

Meng Yaya leaned against Lin Wanrou's chest, smelling the faint scent of soap on her body, and her heart softened.

In her past life, she was an orphan and never experienced such unconditional maternal love. Although this life started poorly, her adoptive mother truly doted on her like her own life.

"Mom, do you know how to farm?" Meng Yaya suddenly asked.

"Yes, I do." Lin Wanrou was taken aback. "In the village, I'm the one who takes care of those few acres of land."

"Can you cook?"

"meeting."

"Can you sew shoe soles, mend clothes, and tidy up the house?"

"Metropolis."

"That settles it then." Meng Yaya crawled out of her arms, cupping Lin Wanrou's somewhat rough face in her two small hands.

"You know all these things, but I don't. You'll have to take care of this yard, farm this land, and cook the meals. Dad's in charge of earning money, and I'm in charge of growing up. Our family can't do without either of us."

Lin Wanrou was stunned.

She was called a good-for-nothing and a money-loser by the Meng family for three years.

No one ever told her that these seemingly trivial things she did were also indispensable.

"Moreover," Meng Yaya pointed to the outside of the courtyard wall,

"Those people bully us not because we're useless, but because they're jealous. They're jealous that we live in a big house, and they're jealous that I have a father."

"Mom, you need to stand up straight. You're the leader's wife, the mistress of this No. 6 courtyard. If anyone dares to give you a hard time again, just grab a broom and throw them out."

Looking into her daughter's bright eyes, Lin Wanrou felt the gloom in her eyes seem to dissipate somewhat.

"Okay." She nodded vigorously. "Mom will listen to you. Mom will straighten her back."

Although his voice was still a little weak, his back was indeed straighter than before.