After the family split up, my stepmother and scumbag father begged me to come home.

Lin Qianqian cleared away the dishes and took the almost untouched bowl of sand porridge to feed the chickens. The chickens weren't picky at all, flapping their wings and scrambling for it.

She glanced up at the west wing. Lin Yuanyuan hadn't come out; inside, Ding Yuxiang was arguing with Lin Guozhu.

"What do you mean? I didn't make that porridge!" Ding Yuxiang's voice came through the window, sharp and shrill. "You guys are all taking your anger out on me, and what about you? You just stand there like a mute? You don't even say a word for us, mother and daughter!"

"Alright, alright," Lin Guozhu's voice was muffled. "It wasn't anything serious, was it? Mother's teeth are all gone. Next time, be more careful when rinsing the rice; that porridge was really gritty..."

"You—is this what I was talking about?" Ding Yuxiang's voice rose again. "All you do is eat by yourself! Where are the pancakes? You didn't even leave a bite for us, mother and son! Living with you, I can't even get a proper meal!"

"I want it back too... but..." Lin Guozhu was speechless for a long time before finally managing to say, "Never mind, you can find something to eat later. Once your mother's anger subsides, this matter will be over."

"Looking for? Where am I supposed to look? Dig for wild vegetables?" Ding Yuxiang sneered, then changed the subject, "That lazy brat is still shirking her duties! She doesn't even know to go dig up some wild vegetables!"

Lin Qianqian heard everything clearly outside, her hands didn't stop moving, and her face remained expressionless.

"Qianqian is injured like that, why are you still digging for vegetables!" Lin Guozhu rarely spoke up, then lowered his voice and asked, "What exactly happened to Qianqian's head?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

Ding Yuxiang's heart skipped a beat, but she pretended to be nonchalant: "Who knows? Probably just tripped and fell. She's always causing me worry."

Lin Yuanyuan listened, her lips twitching slightly, but she remained silent.

"Sigh." Lin Guozhu sighed, "Well... let Yuanyuan go dig some wild vegetables later."

"What?!" Ding Yuxiang's voice suddenly rose. "Make Yuanyuan go dig for wild vegetables? The spring winds are so harsh! How could Yuanyuan endure that hardship!"

"Then... just bear with it." Lin Guozhu's voice lowered. "Drink more water if you're hungry."

There was silence inside. After a moment, Lin Guozhu came out carrying a hoe, walked towards the field with his head down, paused as he passed Lin Qianqian, moved his lips, but ultimately said nothing and walked away in silence.

Lin Qianqian watched his figure disappear through the courtyard gate, then turned her gaze back and continued feeding her chickens.

After feeding the chickens, Lin Qianqian suddenly had a thought pop into her head.

That morning, when they mixed in sand, she had originally planned that Old Madam Lin would come looking for trouble, and she would take the opportunity to divide the family property. Unexpectedly, Ding Yuxiang withstood the brunt of it and ended up taking the fall for her.

—Then let's provoke something bigger.

She glanced up at the chickens in the yard, who were pecking at their food.

These chickens were Old Mrs. Lin's lifeblood. She protected even the eggs like the apple of her eye. If she were to kill one…

Lin Qianqian imagined the old lady Lin going crazy, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

We'll wait until noon. If we make our move while everyone's taking their midday break, it'll be too late even if we're discovered.

Having made up her mind, she dusted off her hands and was about to return to the woodshed when Old Mrs. Lin's voice suddenly rang out behind her:

"Qianqian, let's go up the mountain to dig some wild vegetables later. There are so many mouths to feed at home! We can't just keep feeding people with so much grain!"

The last few words were clearly spoken towards the west wing.

Lin Qianqian understood immediately—the "freeloaders" were referring to Ding Yuxiang and her daughter. The old lady was using this as a veiled insult.

Perfect timing. She was just looking for an excuse to go out and cook eggs for Ah Long.

"I'll take Ah Long with me," Lin Qianqian replied.

Grandma Lin waved her hand, too lazy to care who she brought along, as long as she wasn't idle at home.